The Rescue
by NaomiTheClone
Summary: Based on Nicholas Sparks novel The Rescue. Rukia Kuchiki is raising her four year old daughter and tutoring her through a difficult dissability. One day when she's in a terrible accident she meets Ichigo Kurosaki. :D
1. Chapter 1

Recently my sister started writing Bleach fanfics based on a few of her favorite movies and novels. I've decided to try it out even though I'm no where near as good as writing as she is.

So this story is based on one of my favorite books The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks! I'm sort of excited to start writing! Hope it turns out better than I expect! :P

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_Rukia's POV_

Pushing the speed limit, I drove as quickly as I could without worrying Hanajima, my four year old daughter, in the back seat. The storm was threatening the safety of the roads and the radio was informing me that I was only getting closer to the eye of the storm while simultaneously getting closer to home. Hanajima was blankly staring out the window, absorbing the quickly passing environment. I continued to glance in the rearview mirror to check on her.

"Sweety, what are you looking at? Do you see any animals?" My eyes drifted to the mirror again. I noticed Hanajima figiding with her blanket that was covering her legs. She never turned her attention away from the window and acted as though she didn't hear me. "Honey?" I tried again. Still nothing. Holding back a sigh, I turned my attention back to the road.

Hanajima had been diagnosed with central auditory processing disorder a few monthes after she turned three. I noticed her lack of communication with me or other children and began making appointments with nearby pediatritions. I learned through the unexpected multiple doctors visits that this disorder, known as CAPD, was rare and the cause was unknown. Hana's IQ fell in the normal range of average three year olds but her language ability was that of a two year old. That explained her inability to speak. She was a whole year behind. The numerous doctors explained numerous possibilities and I'd done enough research for a lifetime over 13 different auditory dissabilities. I was always convinced that the latest diagnoses was the real problem and wanted to beleive that I'd found the truth but sure enough the most recent discovery was CAPD.

I'd been studying the new "truth" for the last year and soon developed a daily routine to slowly progress Hanajima's vocabulary. We'd learn new words, form larger sentences and I'd log our work into a journal I kept. After the hour or two we spent working, I'd take Hana to the park or on a walk. Because of our recent move, I stayed in our yard so we could explore and become familiar with our new home. I couldn't continue to live in my hometown with my income. Once I found out about Hanajima and started working with her everyday, I had to give up my job as an elementary school teacher. There really wasn't any income, so I moved to the a smaller town, got a job at a local resturaunt, and moved into a tiny and affordable home.

The rain began to pour on the windsheild bringing my attention back to the road. We were only about twenty minutes away from the house and I knew if I didn't speed it up I'd get caught in the storm. I pushed a little harder on the gas peddle and checked on Hanajima in the mirror again. Seeing her large violet eyes reminded me of how much she resembled me, thank God. Not that I was vain, but I wouldn't be able to bear it if she looked like her father, that stupid man. I only met him once. I was finishing my last year of college and one of my roomates convinced me to go out to a bar with her, not me. I was finally persuaded and we left with a few other girls. The whole night was pretty uncomfortable and I drank more than I should have. After my third drink I realized the man across the bar continuously glancing at me before he finally approached. We talked, he flattered me, and before I knew it, I was waking up in his bed with the worst hangover I've ever had. A few months later I was dialing his number off the coctail napkin and informing him on the unexpected pregnancy. He offered to pay for the aboration like the "gentleman" he was and I told him he was crazy if he thought I would go along with it. I made the choice to keep the baby and gave him the choice to be as involved as he pleased. I haven't heard from him since that phone call.

I glanced back at Hanajima again and smiled. Her father might have been a jack ass but she was definately the best thing that happened to me. Others might see her as a vast amount of conciquences from a drunken mistake, but I consider her a miracle. After my family all past away I felt alone and now I'd always have my little girl. I'd never be alone as long as I had her. My smile widened when my eyes met hers in the rearview mirror.

"Hey sweety, are you holding up okay? We're almost home, only a few more minutes-!" The car began to swerve out of control as we drove over a small body of water that formed in the storm. Hidden by the water was a large pothole which caused me to lose control of the car. I tried to gain authority over the vehicle and failed. Frantic for some sort of management, I slammed on the brakes. The car spun 180 degrees, facing the wrong direction and continued to spin until it rolled over multiple times down a hill off to the side of the road. The impact caused the airbags to deploy. My mind was racing, trying to gain some composure. I held my grip on the steering wheel until the car finally stopped. My vision was blurry and my surroundings started dimming until I slipped into unconciousness.

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Okay here's chapter one of my first fanfic ever! :P Hope you all enjoy and please reveiw!


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, I'm back. I'm so excited about writing especially this story so I'm already starting chapter two! :D Enjoy

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_Ichigo's POV_

On my way home from the fire department, I double checked my radio to make sure it was on. With the storm taking place tonight, there was bound to plenty of accidents and calls coming in to the fire department. Driving down the road all I could think about was getting to bed and getting some rest before the expected calls came in.

The rain began to pour in sheets causing me to squint to see the road in front of me. I increased the speed on my window wipers and turned on my headlights. I glanced around the road quickly out of habit. If I were driving any faster I don't think I would have managed to see the old car turned over on the side of the road but because of the weather I had to drive slowly and I'm glad. As soon as I processed what I saw, I jumped out of my truck and ran toward the crashed vehicle.

Once I reached the car, I immediantly ran to the drivers side window to find a petite woman practically dangleing from her sit. The seat belt was keeping her from collapsing completely to the ceiling of the car. I checked for major wounds, anything puncturing her and pinning her to her seat. Once I realized that there weren't any, I reached in and unbuckled her carefully. As soon as I began to move her, she stirred and mumbled in pain.

"Hana-?" The woman groaned and held her head in pain. When she registered her surroundings, she began piveting her head in the direction of the back seat. "Hanajima?!"

"Sh! Calm down Ma'am! I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, I'm a volunteer of the local fire department. Ma'am, are you in a lot of pain?" I attempted to calm her down and for a breif moment I thought I succeeded.

"Where's Hana?!"

"Who's Hana?" I asked while carefully pulling her out of the car. I finally got her loose while she was frantically panicing about Hana. Whoever that was.

"My daughter! She's not in the back seat! Where is she!? Did you take her!?" The small woman grabbed my arm, tears welling up in her eyes. Once I realized what she just told me, I began inspecting the surroundings of the car. I didn't see anyone, no body, no little girl. The panic this woman was expressing began to well up in my chest.

"Stay here, I'm going to call an ambulance and some back up. Don't worry, I'll find Hana." I tried to reassure her as I stood up but as soon as I turned towards my truck I heard her begin to sob. I ran to the truck and began describing the situation into the radio. Dispatch told me that an ambulance was on the way. He said that the police would be notified about the missing child and they would get there as soon as possible. I ran back to the small women and knelt down next to her. I repeated the information I just heard on the radio.

" Now, can you tell me your name? And answer my earlier question, are you in a lot of pain?" I asked while pulling off my jacket and wrapping it around her tiny frame. She thanked me quietly before ansering.

"I'm Rukia Kuchiki and no I'm fine. Now can we please start looking for my baby?!" Her voice rose again and I could hear the panic escape her mouth. "Please, we have to find her! She's only four! Please!" Tears began to spill out from her eyes and I felt myself tense up with apprehension.

"You're not in any condition to go looking. I can't start looking without the police but why don't you describe her to me so I can inform the others when they get here, okay?" I attempted to calm her down in the slightest bit.

After wiping the tears from her eyes, she began characterizing her daughter. "She's tiny. She's probably only between 20 to 30 pounds. Um...she's got dark hair, shaped similar to mine. Her eyes are violet and huge. She's wearing a yellow dress with a floral print." Rukia covered her eyes with her hands and began crying for the third time. Her crys came out in loud sobs and her body shook desprately. I tried to reassure her that we'd find her daughter and continued until the police and ambulance arrived.

The paramedics immediantly rushed towards the car and began loading Rukia onto a stretcher. Unexpectedly, she began to kick and scream, trying to pull away. She cried loudly, claiming that "she had to find Hanajima before it was too late." I walked up behind her and lightly grabbed her arm.

"Rukia, we're going to go look now. Let them take care of your injuries. Please." I could hear the concern in my own voice, I heard how foreign it sounded but I pushed the thought aside and focused on the woman in front of me. She stopped struggleing and agreed to go to the ambulance after a minute or two or persuasion.

I bounded toward the police and local search group that had formed before arrival and began describing the little girl to all the men in front of me. We divided ourselves into pairs, assigned areas of the nearby woods to everyone and were about to head out before I heard Rukia call out to me.

"Ichigo! I forgot something important you should know about Hanajima." She frowned as I approached her.

"What is it?" I asked frantically, ready to begin our search.

"Hana...she can't....she can't speak. She has a disability, she can't respond to you if you call out to her." Rukia looked down at her hands as she cautioned us of her daughters...problem.

After registering what that meant and how that effected our search, my mind froze for the breifest moment.

_She can't speak!?_

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Okay chapter two done, hope you enjoy! :D


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 on its way!

And I just wanted to let everyone know, that yes Ichigo and Rukia aren't always going to be in character and I realize that. They have to fit the characters of the story so they might not always seem exactly in character and in the beginning every ones worried and panicking so they might seem a little OC in some aspects. Thanks for bringing that to my attention HarunoRin! :D Oh and Renji will definitely not be in character, he's been selected as the caring friend. Haha!

On with the story!

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_Ichigo's POV_

After Rukia told us about Hanajima's inability to speak, we all seemed a little more tense. This was horrible! How were we supposed to find a child who couldn't return our calls? It was dark and storming, it would have been difficult to hear her with the weather but she wasn't capable of _speaking?_

I tried to put that aside and began searching for Hana in my assigned section of the woods. Me and my close friend Renji, who was sent to the same area I was, stayed spread out and attempted to cover as much land as we could, quickly but carefully. He told me earlier that his wife Mina and our other buddy Hisagi's wife Michiru were going over to the hospital to stay with Rukia.

Rukia. Well, we finally got her to agree to leave to the hospital about forty-five minutes after the search began. She didn't seem hurt all that badly but she needed to go to the hospital so the doctors could take a look at her. Her head was still bleeding when she left and the paramedics found a large cut on her right eye. When they asked her if she had problems seeing, she looked down at her hands and sheepishly admitted that her vision was a little blurry. Before she left, I made sure to reassure her that we'd do everything we could to find her daughter. She didn't look too convinced but she agreed to go to the hospital.

It was now about an hour since we started looking for Hanajima and no one had found anything, no shoe, no tracks, nothing. I was looking through a group of bushes when I spotted something with a lush dark purple color. Without thinking I grabbed the item and sure enough, it was a small child's blanket and it was soaking wet. Curiously I walked around the brush and found myself next to the river that ran through these woods. My heart sped up as I realized what that could mean. The blanket had been in the water, did that mean Hana was in the water? I tried to push those horrible thoughts out of my head as I ran towards the appointed meeting area. I gave my signal, letting everyone know that I had found something.

I spent the next few minutes explaining what I found, where I found it and what that could mean to the search party before we redelegated areas to everyone, now focusing our search on the river.

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_Rukia's POV_

I was situated in the hospital room about an hour after the crash. The doctors told me that I had a few serious bruises and sore muscles but other than my eye, nothing was damaged. When I was in the ambulance one of the medics noticed a piece of glass that had gotten caught in my flesh in the accident. It scrapped it's way down over my right eye and rested to the side of my nose. I noticed my visions condition when I was first pulled out of my car but kept it to myself. I wanted everyone to focus on finding Hanajima, not my problems. The nurse informed me that my vision could be permanantly crippled but no one was sure. For now I was stuck with a temporary eye patch that made me feel ridiculous.

Every few minutes I'd find myself imagining Hanajima's dead body out in the woods somewhere and begin crying. I couldn't beleive this was happening. Why didn't I just focus on the road? I knew the storm was serious but I continued to turn my attention to the past. I was distracted and just...lost control. And now my daughter was out all alone in the forest in the middle of a terrible storm and it was all my fault.

I covered my eyes and was about to begin sobbing again when I heard a quiet knock on the hospital door. I didn't say anything because I figured it was just a nurse checking up on me. The door slid open and two women that I'd never seen before walked in with smiles on their faces. One was short with short brown hair that hardly reached her shoulders. She was dressed in sweats and carried a Bible with her. The other was taller, most people would consider her average height but compared to me and Ms. Religion, she was pretty tall. They took a few steps closer to my bed before introducing themselves.

"Hi I'm Mina Abarai and this is my friend Michiru Shuuhei. Our husbands are out looking for your daughter." She looked around the room quickly before returning her gaze at me. I blinked away the tears that were about to escape before they entered.

"Oh, hello." I said weakly, I didn't put much effort into my words and they noticed it.

"We thought we'd come check and see how you're doing. Your new to town and we figured you wouldn't have too many visitors. Is it alright if we stay and talk for awhile?" The other women, Michiru stepped closer as she spoke. "We know it's late and if you'd like to rest, we could leave."

I shook my head, causing me to place a hand on my neck. It was sore like everything else. "No I'm fine, thank you. Um...you can stay if you'd like." I tried to hide my discomfort.

In unison the women took a seat at the end of my bed and smiled at me again. The taller one, Mina, began asking me questions about my condition. "How are you? You weren't seriously hurt, were you? Is your eye alright?" Concern was shining in her eyes and I could tell that these strangers had come out of the kindness of their hearts.

"I'm okay, just bruised and sore. My eye was scratched up by a piece of glass. The doctor said it might effect my vision, but I don't really care about that." My voice was quiet and I could tell how shy I sounded. Before they could ask any questions about me, I sat up and said, "Have you heard anything from your husbands about the search? Did they find anything?" My words came out quickly and filled with desperation.

Michiru glanced at Mina before answering. "No we haven't but haven't they been calling and informing you every half hour or so?" When I shook my head her face gained this distant angry look. "I can't believe them!" She stood from her spot on the bed and grabbed the hospital phone next to me. She began dialing a memorized number and waited for an answer.

"Why aren't you using your cell phone?" Mina asked, her eyebrow cocked out of confusion.

"Please, Hisagi will never answer my call in the middle of a search. This number will show up as the hospital." Michiru stated before her husband picked up his phone. Mina and I were watching her waiting for some information. I heard a deep voice on the other end of the conversation. Before he had a chance to say much, Michiru chimed in. "Hisagi! What are you doing!? Why hasn't anyone updated Rukia on the search!?" I heard a small laugh coming from her husband before he apologized and answered her questions. She was off the phone in less than two minutes.

"Did they find anything?!" I asked frantically.

"They found a small purple blanket." She stated simply, continuing before I could ask more questions. "They found it by the river." Michiru took her time finishing. She sighed before she went on. "They've redirected their search to the river, looking for anything else."

I felt Mina place her hand on my shoulder comfortingly as I began to sob. I cried into my hands registering the new information. My baby was near the river. What if she fell in? Hanajima can't swim, she'd drown. I continued crying for the next twenty minutes before the two women started conversation again.

"Don't worry Rukia, they'll find her." Mina was patting my back, trying to sooth me like I was a child. "You're little girls going to be okay."

"She's right! God has his hand of protection on her! I prayed about it." Michirui smiled widely at me again. As much as I wanted to believe her, I couldn't. I had this horrible feeling that something had happened to my little girl.

Mina and Michiru stayed for another thirty minutes before excusing themselves. They reassured me that Hana would be found and that everything would be okay. "One of the nurses told me that you'd be able to leave tomorrow afternoon. Would you like me to come pick you up and give you a ride home? And maybe once you're feeling better we could have lunch sometime." I nodded, and told Mina that I appreciated her kindness. I thanked them for coming before they left.

Once they were gone, I was all alone again with my thoughts.

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_Ichigo's POV_

It was now over two hours into the search and we hadn't found anything other than the blanket. We were starting to lose hope of finding her but no one gave up. No one took a brake they continued for two straight hours. I was searching in a group of trees when it hit me. A small child walking in a storm, would probably want to escape the wind. So wouldn't they walk in the direction the wind was blowing? I began walking with the wind and carefully took in my surroundings. I saw on the ground a tiny little footprint in the mud and realized it was going in the same direction I was. So my hunch about the wind was correct.

_Didn't Rukia say something about Hana being afraid of storms?_ I thought a few minutes until I was sure she had said that. So, where would a little girl go to hide from a storm? A bush maybe or behind a tree but I'd already looked there. I glanced up and saw a hunting stand in a nearby tree. _Could she possibly be in there? _Without another thought I began looking in all the close hunting stands I could find. I was climbing up to my fourth one when I heard some shuffling from inside. My heart beat doubled in speed as I reached the stand. When I pulled back the protective curtain used as a door, I saw this tiny little version of the women I had just pulled out of a car only a few hours before. My heart burst with relief and I couldn't help but smile and the cute child.

The girl looked scared at first but once she saw my grin, she began smiling. Hanajima reached her tiny little arms out to me before I reached over and carefully picked her up. She weighed practically nothing and her skin was freezing to the touch. I wrapped the same jacket I had earlier used to keep Rukia warm around Hana and held her carefully close to me. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I climbed out of the deer stand and began bounding towards the others.

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Okay chapter three! hope you like it! And don't forget to review!


	4. Chapter 4

Okay back again! :D Hope everyones enjoying the story so far!

Keep reveiwing!

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_Rukia's POV_

No one could ever imagine the joy I felt that night when my daughter was returned to me safely! It was wonderful and I couldn't thank everyone enough. In the hospital I learned that there was nothing wrong with Hanajima and I was able to take her home that day. A week after the car crash, we were finally back on track with our normal routine.

I was sitting at the kitchen table paying bills while Hanajima was playing with her toys in the living room. I was so thankful for everyones help that I sent out thank you cards to everyone who was involved in the rescue. After the accident I was out a car and about two hundred dollars every month because of my insurance going up. I had no way to get around and because I didn't have any way to get a ride, I was stuck walking everywhere. When I needed groceries, I'd have to walk. When it was time to go to work, I'd have to walk. It really wouldn't have been as bad if I didn't have to bring Hanajima but I had no one to babysit. Either way I made sure not to complain, I was thankful for my life and my daughter's.

On that afternoon I was finishing with the bills and was about to get ready to go to the store. I got Hanajima dressed, put her shoes on, and grabbed a jacket. We were headed for the door when I thought I heard a car door shut outside. I reached for the door handle and opened the front door as soon as he was about to knock. Looking up I saw the orange haired man who pulled me out of my car. My eyes widened with suprise at the random visit.

"Um, hi, can I help you?" I asked not really knowing the reason for his sudden appearance. I stepped back and grabbed Hanajima's arm protectively, respecting the fact that he was still a stranger.

"Hi, I was just coming over to drop off Hana's blanket." He said as he handed it to her, kneeling, attempting to reach her eye level."Here you go, Hanajima." He smiled as she grabbed the blanket out of his hand. I thought she would step back behind me like she's done on the other rare occasions when others tried to talk to her, but instead she reached up and hugged onto his neck tightly. His eyes widened, just as surprised as I was, and gently patted her back. She didn't let go of him even when he tried to stand.

"Hanajima, let go." I said trying to sound amused rather than shocked. Hana glared up at me but finally let him go and pulled her blanket closer to herself. Ichigo laughed and patted her head before looking down at me. As soon as our eyes met I remembered that I still had my eye patch on and felt like a complete idiot. My hand absently went to my eye. Ichigo smiled at my action and asked me how I was feeling.

"I'm fine thank you. I appreciate you bringing her blanket over." I said looking straight up, struggling to see the man clearly.

"No problem. I didn't want to give it to her all wet and dirty so I had it cleaned." He said as he noticed my purse thrown over my shoulder. "Oh, were you about to leave? I'm sorry." Taking a step back he glanced back at his truck and realized that we were about to walk. "Do you need a ride? Where were you headed?"

I shook my head. "No that's alright, we were just going to the store to pick up some groceries. It's not that long a walk." I said, not returning his stare. I grabbed Hanajima's blanket and tossed it to the nearby couch. Grabbing Hana's hand I was about to head out when I felt Ichigo's hand grab onto my arm.

"Really, I can give you a ride. I needed to pick up some milk anyway. Come on." He let go of my arm now that he had my attention. As much as I didn't want to walk, I didn't want to go with him. I didn't know him, how could I trust him? I was just about to deny his help but before I could, words of acceptance spilled out of my mouth.

"Um...sure, thank you." I said, shocking myself again. I squeezed Hanajima's hand and followed Ichigo to his truck. He surprised me by opening the passenger side of his truck and politely helping me in my seat. He then carefully picked Hanajima off the ground and sat her in my lap. He walked around to his side and pulled himself in. Ichigo quickly started the car and headed in the direction of the store. We didn't speak to each other and he didn't try to start a conversation, we sat in silence.

Once we reached the store, Ichigo told me to stay still for a second and walked around to my door and helped me out. He was cautious of getting too close and I respected that. I was thankful for that. I led Hana into the store and began hunting down the items I needed. I tried to quicken my pace and get everything without making him wait. I had grabbed a few items off my list when Ichigo approached me. He didn't say anything until I cocked my eyebrow. "Just waiting." He smiled down at me as I nodded.

"Oh okay, sorry, I'll hurry." I said looking down at my list again. While I quickly began to fill the small basket with groceries needed, Ichigo and Hanajima followed me around a few steps behind me. I ignored his childish actions and continued finishing in about five minutes. I quickly paid the cashier and got back in the truck with Ichigo. He turned to me before starting the engine.

"Is there anywhere else you needed to go?"

"No thanks. I really appreciate the ride." I said glancing up at him. He smiled at me again and nodded.

"No problem." He then started the car and drove off toward my house.

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_Ichigo's POV_

Riding back to her house, I attempted to make some conversation. I glanced over at her briefly before turning my attention back to the road. Hanajima was asleep, leaning her weight on my arm. I saw Rukia look over at Hana curiously. Noticing her large white eye patch, I decided to ask if her vision was any better.

"Um, I'm not sure...I was supposed to wait about a week before taking off the patch, so I'm not sure how my vision is." She answered, not returning my gaze. I noticed how shy she seemed to act around me. She was obviously uncomfortable and I don't think she liked Hanajima's friendly behavior. I had to admit, the kid was cute and well behaved. Glancing down at the small girl, I realized just how much she looked like her mother. I smiled and quickly looked over at Rukia. I wondered where Hana's father was. I pulled into Rukia's driveway as I continued to ponder about the two petite girls in my truck.

Rukia got out and carefully pulled out Hanajima. I offered to give her a ride some other time and in a friendly gesture she said that it would be nice. I could tell she didn't mean it and would never ask me for a ride. I smiled as I pulled out of the driveway, thinking of Rukia and Hana while I drove home.

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Okay here's ch 4.

I don't think this ones as good as the last one and I'm open for reviews! :D


	5. Chapter 5

Okay here again for chapter five. Hope everyone is enjoying the story!

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_Ichigo's POV_

After dropping Rukia and Hanajima off, I drove by Renji's only to find Hisagi and Michiru visiting for lunch. Mina dragged me in the house and forced me to stay longer than the few minutes I was expecting to stay. I ended up at the kitchen table with a large plate of food in front of me. Michiru and Mina bombed me with questions about what I was up to, how I was, how work was going, the usual. Then came the question that caused the conversation to turn on me.

Mina simply asked me what I did that day. I told her about how I dropped Hanajima's blanket off at her house and how I gave Rukia a ride to the grocery store. Big mistake. Michiru gave Mina this deviant smile and I knew what was about to come.

"Oh really? You spent the afternoon with Rukia? That's nice." Mina glanced at Michiru again before going on. "So...do you like her?" She smiled at me, teasing me like she usually did when I "met someone."

"I suppose. She's nice." I answered, trying to stay calm. "Why does it matter?"

Mina shrugged and turned her grin to Michiru before asking another question. "Do you think she's pretty?" Her smile widened, it looked like she was holding back a laugh. I sighed annoyed, I should be used to this sort of stuff.

"I don't know, I haven't really noticed her like that." I responded, lying only to spare my small amount of dignity I had left in this conversation. Of course they both saw through my lie and continued to badger me.

"I think you have. I mean, she is pretty. No one blames you for noticing." Michiru laughed loudly at Mina's response. I sighed again louder this time and looked over at Renji and Hisagi, hoping for some pity. Of course, not. They were smiling at me, letting me know that they had to agree with Mina and found it just as amusing as Michiru. I glared at them, angry that my so called "best friends" would go along with this torture.

Hisagi held up his hands. "Sorry man but I'm with the women. You should ask her out. You're always working, you never have any fun."

"I thought I'd have a little fun visiting my so called friends today but instead they all decide to lecture me." My glare deepened while his grin widened.

"That's not what I meant man. I meant _fun._" His eyebrows rose as Michiru elbowed him in the gut.

"Don't encourage him Hisagi!" She was now glaring up at him. Being the religious nut she was, Michiru didn't approve of most of my recent relationships. She was always telling me about how sex before marriage was wrong and always felt the need to remind me as soon as I started getting close to any other female that wasn't herself or Mina.

"I'm kidding, he knows I'm kidding." Hisagi reassured her before wrapping his arm around her playfully. He rested his head on hers lightly and continued to annoy her until she smiled and pushed him away.

"Lets get back on topic." Mina said returning everyone's attention back to me. "So are you going to ask her out? We all think you should ask her out. Maybe you could ask her to go to the picnic with you this weekend." She asked referring to the town's annual picnic. I couldn't take anymore of this. I pushed my plate aside and starred off, ignoring them all. Once they realized I was done talking about Rukia, they finally showed me some kindness and changed the subject.

I spent the next hour or so finishing lunch until I was ready to get out of there. I said goodbye to all the kids that were running around and hugged Mina and Michiru. Before Mina let me go she whispered to me, "Don't take things so personally. I'm just worried about you, we all are." She squeezed me tighter and then let go.

The whole ride home I was thinking about our conversation. As much as I hated it, if they knew I what I was thinking about they'd torture me some more, I found myself wondering about Rukia again. If it didn't give Mina the satisfaction, I would have definitely asked Rukia out, but with the response of Mina, I had no choice but to force my thoughts of doing so away. I sighed loudly to myself as I drove home, trying to stop thinking about that small women who seemed to occupy so much of my thought lately, but failing epicly.

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_Rukia's POV_

It was a few days after Ichigo had given me a ride to the store and I was sitting outside in the backyard with Hanajima. I was working with her and realized that the accident that occured about a week ago hadn't really effected the way Hana learned. She acted the same way and I was really happy about that. We were sitting by a large tree that sat on the side of the river. Our session was pretty much over, I had to stop early today due to Hana's lack of attention. It was a hot day and we were both ready to get inside. It wasn't much better than outside due to the lack of an air conditioner but at least it wasn't 96 degrees.

Once in the house I got a cold bottle of water from the fridge and poured Hanajima a glass of apple juice. I sat at the table, relaxing for a minute before getting up to clean up the living room. I sat a little longer than planned and before I knew it, someone was knocking at the door. Surprised to have yet another unexpected visitor, I got up reluctantly before answering the door. My eyes widened when I saw the two women from the hospital standing in front of two tall and quite large men.

"Hi Rukia! How are you? Do you mind if we come in?" Michiru asked already taking a step closer to the door. I stepped aside and nodded, letting them come inside. They all stood clustered in the livingroom until the taller man with the long red hair sat down on the couch. After that everyone else followed suit. Hanajima, who was playing on the couch, pulled away from Mina, who was sitting closest to her, and walked to my side. She grabbed the side of my dress tail and hid from our guests.

"She's so cute. Is she always shy?" Mina asked, looking up at me.

I nodded and looked down at Hana. "Hanajima, don't be rude, say hello." As expected, she shook her head and pressed her face against my leg. I smiled and brushed some hair behind her ear.

"So how is she since the accident?" asked the dark haired man sitting next to Michiru. "Was she hurt at all?"

"No, she didn't have a scratch." I anwered, looking back up at them.

"These are our husbands, they were part of the search." Mina informed before giving my their names. "This is Renji and that's Hisagi." She pointed to them as she spoke.

I nodded again. "Thank you." I didn't know what else to say. I wasn't sure why they were there. They both nodded and stated that it wasn't a big deal. Everyone was silent for a moment and I took the opportunity to offer them a drink. Mina declined for them all politely.

"We weren't going to stay long, we just came by to invite you to the towns picnic this weekend. It's always a lot of fun. Would you like to go? It's on Saturday from ten AM until nine in the afternoon. They'll have fireworks before it ends. What do you say?" She smiled at me while the others just watched me, waiting for my answer.

"I don't think I can make it...I have to work and I don't really have a way to get there." I slightly shook my head.

"We can give you a ride and we can bring you back in time for work." Renji spoke for the first time. "Really. It'll be a lot of fun and it'll give Hanajima time to meet some kids her age."

Hisagi chimed in. "Yeah and Ichigo'll be there." He slightly raised his eyebrows and smiled at me.

I gave him a slightly confused look and said, "That's nice." My tone was monotonous and they all laughed at my reaction. They continued to ask until I reluctantly agreed.

"Great! We'll be here at about eleven-thirty. Does that sound good?" Michiru smiled at me expectantly. I nodded and soon after they excused themselves. Once they were gone, Hanajima returned to the couch and continued to play with her toys. I sat back on the table and thought about Hisagi's teasing statement.

"_Ichigo'll be there."_

Why would I care where Ichigo was? I looked down at Hana watching her play. I thought about the night of the accident and how concerned and helpful Ichigo was. I also thought about Hanajima's reaction to him. Though I wasn't very happy about the way she clung to a complete stranger, I was glad to finally find someone who treated Hanajima like an average child even though she'd never spoken to him. Her actions definitely spoke louder than any words she was capable of speaking. I continued to pondering over my daughters strange reaction to Ichigo throughout the evening until I finally fell asleep late that night.

Two days before the picnic I got a phone call. I thought it would have been Mina or Michiru calling, they were the only people I had yet to give my number to. But, to my surprise it was Ichigo. I was cleaning the livingroom when the phone began to ring. When I picked up the phone and heard his voice answer, I froze momentarily.

"Hello? Are you there?" He asked after a moment or two of silence from my end. "Rukia?"

"Um yes. Who is this again?" I was only asking to prove to myself that it was really him.

"Ichigo Kurosaki. Uh, the man who gave you a ride a few days ago." He talked as though I wasn't capable of remembering.

"Yes I know who you are." I heard him laugh at my remark before he began explaining why he called. He was in the middle of describing the town picnic when I interrupted him. "How did you get my number exactly?"

"Uh, my friend sorta forced me to take it." His explanation left me confused.

"Your friend?"

"Oh um, Mina Abarai."

"....She did?...Why?"

"She's sorta...pushy. But anyways, I was saying about the picnic. It's sort of an annual event. It's got a whole bunch of activities-" I cut him off again.

"I know what it is. Mina and Michiru came over with their husbands to invite me. I'm still confused why you're calling me. What did you want?" Growing impatient I felt no need to play shy.

"They did?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"And you wanted?"

"Well, I was...I was going to ask if you wanted to go. I thought Hanajima would enjoy it so I was going to offer you a ride."

"A ride?"

"Yes, you do remember that you don't have a car, right?" He asked with a smart alec tone.

"Of course I do. And you remember that I already have a ride, right?" I mocked his tone and he realized that I was teasing him. He laughed again before answering.

"Of course I do. Well, if you have a ride then I guess I'll see you there. Have fun riding with all those kids. I'm sure they'll seat you in a nice seat between a couple of them, you know to make sure they behave, like a babysitter." I could hear the amusement in his voice. Was he making this up so I'd ride with him?

"...How many kids do they have?"

"Well Mina and Renji have three and Michiru and Hisagi have two but they like to carpool in Mina's big van. They'd have room for you, but you'll probably get stuck in the back with the kids." I sighed not knowing whether to beleive him or not. He began saying his goodbyes while I was wondering if I could trust him. "Well, I'm glad you have a way to get there. Hope you enjoy it. See ya." He was about to hang up when I stopped him.

"Wait!" I sighed again. "...Fine, I'll go with you. Are you sure?" I asked to be positive that I wouldn't be a burden.

"Uh, yeah I'm sure. I called you for a reason. So I'll pick you up at say eleven?"

"Fine. Thank you."

"No problem. Do you want me to call Mina and let her know?"

"No, I'll tell her. Thanks again." I hung up before he could say anything else.

_Why did I do that?_

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Well here's chapter five. It took me soooo long to write. Hope you enjoyed! continue with your reviews! :D thanks to all who take the time to give me some feed back!


	6. Chapter 6

I'm so happy for everyone's review! You're all so kind! :D

Well here's chapter 6 Hope you enjoy :)

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_Ichigo's POV_

I hung up the phone, smiling broadly. I can't believe I actually asked her. I decided earlier that day that I would do it, pushing the thought of what Mina would say away. Though it took a little crafty effort on my behalf, she said yes and I'd be picking her up Saturday morning.

Later that afternoon while I was finishing with the dishes, I got a phone call. I picked up the phone expecting a bill collector or someone else. I was surprised to hear a familiar voice answer.

"Hello? Ichigo?" Mina's voice asked on the other end.

"Oh hey Mina, whats up?"

"So, you scared Rukia into riding with you? I thought you weren't interested in her." I could hear the smile seeping into her voice. I could practically picture her face, grinning like she'd just won a fight.

"She told you I scared her into it? I just told her that she would probably get stuck in between your kids, like I usually do. I was warning her." I said trying to sound like I was just being friendly.

"So, is this a date or are you just coming to her rescue again?"

"I was just offering her a ride, Mina. Just because she doesn't have a car doesn't mean she shouldn't be involved in the town's picnic." As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I knew they were an excuse and so did Mina.

"Yeah, yeah. Well I'm glad you asked her. I guess we'll both find out if it's a date on Saturday. See you then." She laughed before hanging up. I sighed loudly as I hung up the phone. I went back to the kitchen to finish the dishes. Picking up a bowl, I began drying it. _It's not a date, _I thought. _Surely she doesn't think it's a date....right?_

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_Rukia's POV_

Saturday morning I got up at around nine o'clock. That gave me time to fix breakfast, take a shower, dress Hanajima, and get myself ready. Checking the temperature, I decided to dress Hana in a yellow dress with a pair of black shorts underneath to make playing more comfortable. I dressed in a pair of black shorts similar to my daughter's that were about two inches above my knees. I wore a plain purple tanktop and brought both myself and Hanajima a light jacket in case of a change in weather.

I was brushing Hana's hair back in a braid when I heard a knock on the door, this one expected. "Come in," I stated without looking up from what I was doing. In my peripheral vision I saw Ichigo let himself in and noticed a little discomfort in his actions. I was almost finished with the braid when Hanajima attempted to run towards our visitor. Without a chance to let go of her hair, she got caught and fell back against me, letting out a groan. I heard Ichigo stifle a laugh as Hanajima began to cry. Smiling, I lightly hugged her after finishing with her hair. "Sweety, I'm sorry, but I wasn't done." I carefully patted her head before allowing her to say hello to Ichigo.

"Hey Hana, you okay?" Ichigo asked as he picked her up off the floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded.

"Yes." She spoke quietly and smiled up and him.

"Can you say 'Thank you' Hanajima?" I grabbed our jackets and my purse before walking up next to them. She looked down at me with this blank expression before shaking her head. Ichigo laughed and pat her back lightly. He looked down at me and smiled.

"You ready to go?" He pulled Hanajima higher in his arms closer to his shoulders.

Nodding, I took a small step away from him and closer to the door. When he made no move at all, I started for the door, apparently leading him to his truck. Once we reached his vehicle, he tried to help me in again before I stopped him. "Thanks but I got it, I'm not that small and helpless." Laughing, he backed off and watched as I pulled myself into my seat without much effort. He handed Hanajima to me carefully before walking to his side and pulling himself in. We were headed toward our destination and sitting in silence like we had a few days before. The silence wasn't that bad but I could sense Ichigo's discomfort again. I noticed him tighten his grip on the wheel, he had an expression on his face like he was straining to think of something to say.

I smiled up at him amused while his attention was still on the road. "Are you okay?" He glanced down at me and relaxed a little when he noticed my expression. He turned his gaze to the road again and nodded.

"Uh, yeah thanks. So..." He glanced at me again, still not sure what he was saying.

"Yeah?"

"Um...how are you doing?" He asked with an unsure tone. I couldn't help but laugh.

"We don't have to talk, I didn't mind the silence." Reaching over, I turned on the car radio and chose a station turning the volume down slightly. "There, does that work?" I looked back up at him, my amused expression still visible on my face.

"Uh, yeah." He smiled, also looking entertained. The rest of the car ride was silent and we both relaxed a little more. Leaning my weight against the window, I listened to the soft music until we reached the large picnic. Hanajima sat up and began looking around outside the window curiously. I reached over and unbuckled her seatbelt after unsnapping mine. As I opened the door and slid out, I finally realized how akward this was going to be. I didn't know anyone here except Ichigo and his friends and I had a feeling he would feel obligated to be my guide throughout the day. Lost in thought, I didn't realize Hana reaching out to me. She grunted loudly to get my attention.

"Oh sorry sweety." I grabbed her and sat her down next to me. Ichigo handed me our jackets before he pulled a cooler out of the back of his truck. He started off towards a few picnic tables and turned back to make sure we were following. I was a step behind him and when I looked down at Hanajima she was walking closer to him than I would have liked. She really liked him and I had no idea why. I shoved the thought away as we approached Ichigo's friends. They all smiled and greeted us with a little more enthusiasm than I expected.

"Hey." Renji said. He looked over and Hanajima. "Hi Hana." She took a step back and I thought she'd cling onto my leg like she'd done when they all came to visit, but instead she hid behind Ichigo, grabbing onto his jeans. Renji laughed at her actions and they all turned their attention to Ichigo.

"She seems to like you," Michiru stated, her smile widening. Ichigo looked down at Hana.

"Are you okay, Hanajima?" Instead of answering, she pulled closer to him, burrying her face in his leg. Ichigo took a small step away and sat the cooler down. He knelt down in front of her, leaning his arms against his legs, and looked down at her. "Do you want me to show you the playground?" He looked up at me. "Is that okay? It's right over there." Ichigo pointed toward a small play area not far off. I had a good view of it from the tables. I nodded and the next thing I knew, they were bounding off.

Sighing, I sat down at the empty end of the table, putting some distance between myself and everyone else. Mina noticed and slightly slid closer to me. "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah thanks." I gave her a quick smile and she returned the gesture. I looked around the table and asked, "Um...is he good with all kids or is mine just...crazy?" A roar of laughter exploded from the table before Hisagi answered.

"No, she's not crazy." He laughed again. "Most kids like him." Michiru nodded in agreement.

"Our kids love him, he's like the goofy fun uncle." She grinned and rested her elbow on the table, leaning closer to Hisagi. I nodded at her comment and glanced over at them. Ichigo was introducing Hanajima to his friends children before he made his was back to the table. I turned my attention to the table again. I looked over and saw Renji digging in the cooler pulling out two cans of beer, handing one to Hisagi. He pulled out another and tossed it at Ichigo without a word. Turning to me, he asked if I wanted one.

"Um, no thank you."

"How about a soda or water?"

"A water's fine, thanks."

"No problem." He grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to me before opening his can and taking a long pull. I opened my bottle and took a sip, sitting the lid on the table absently. As Ichigo was about to sit down, Hisagi and Michiru spread out, filling the open space across from me. Mina scooted back over to Renji, making room for Ichigo to sit between me and her. He let out a quiet laugh before rolling his eyes and sitting down. I took another drink from my water and screwed the lid back on.

We spent the next hour or so eating and talking. They asked a lot of questions and offered a lot of helpful information about the town. I didn't feel as akward as I thought I would and they didn't treat me like an outcast to their little family, though it was obvious that I was. They also included Hanajima. They continueously asked her questions even though she'd answer only Ichigo and myself. The kids didn't understand why she wouldn't talk but treated her kindly. The afternoon came quickly and after lunch was cleared the kids went back to playing.

I was looking around for Hanajima but couldn't spot her anywhere. I told Mina that I was going to go look for her on the playground and left. Walking through the crowd of children, I looked all around the playground. My heart started racing after a minute or two of my search. I turned to my right to see a part of the play area I couldn't see from my spot at the picnic table. There was a set of swings set aside. What I saw caused me to pause. I spotted Hana right away, she was the only one swinging and to my surprise Ichigo was there pushing her. They must have snuck off after eating without me noticing. I slowly walked up to them, still shocked at the sight of them together. Ichigo looked up at me and smiled.

"Hey, having fun?" He asked once I was close enough to hear him. I nodded without speaking. My thoughts must have been easily read on my face because his eyebrows knitted together. "You okay?"

I took a step closer before answering. "Yes, it's just....no one's ever really...played with her before..."

"No one?" He seemed surprised.

"No. No one other than myself...I mean...children don't really know how to act around her and she's usually too shy around other adults."

Ichigo shrugged. "Well, she didn't want to play with the other kids so I offered to push her on the swings. I hope its alright that we just took off, sorry I should've let you know what we were doing." I shook my head.

"It's fine." Leaning my weight against the swings frame, I watched them for a few minutes. Because I had work, we couldn't stay past four. I helped Ichigo get all of his stuff around and we said goodbye to his friends. We loaded into the truck and I strapped myself and Hana in. Before starting the truck, Ichigo turned on the radio and gave me a warm smile. I laughed and rolled my eyes. The ride was quiet and comfortable as Hana's light snores filled the small space.

Once we reached my house, Ichigo told me that he'd wait for me to get ready so he could drive me to work. As much as I wanted to say no, he'd done enough, I couldn't imagine carrying Hanajima the whole way there. I accepted his offer and invited him to wait inside. He picked up Hana, carried her into the house and waited in the livingroom. I was pulling my hair back in front of the mirror while reflecting on my day. I had a lot more fun than I thought I would. As forced as I felt into going, I had to admit I had a great day. As I opened my door, ready to head out, the thought of Ichigo waiting out in the livingroom popped in my head and I couldn't help but smile.

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There it its. It took a long time but I'm glad I got it up! :D Hope you liked it! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Hello everyone, I'm back with another chapter! :D

I wanna thank everyones reveiws! :) I'd never think my storied be this liked! :P I appreciate it a lot!

Anyhoo, here's chapter seven! (Wow!)

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_Rukia's POV_

I woke up Sunday morning later than I usually did. It was almost nine-thirty and the house was completely still. Waking up I usually thought about Hanajima and what we'd do that day but instead, that morning I woke up thinking about Ichigo. _Why?! _I thought, intensely confused. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. The events that occurred the night before ran through my head, causing me to think about that pushy orange haired man. I had been forcing myself to think of him as a stranger who'd helped me the first time we met. After the picnic, I just couldn't do that anymore. I had to admit, he was **really **cute and nice. He was great with Hana and I've never met anyone that Hanajima seemed to like so much. Sighing, I stood from my bed and stretched.

As I walked out of my room, I bumped into Hana. She was about to come wake me up and when she walked into my legs, she fell back. With her little fists, she rubbed her eyes and looked up at me disoriented. I laughed, apologized, and helped her to her feet. After breakfast, we had our daily lesson, played in the yard, and went inside to relax. The day flew by without any distractions. I didn't need to worry about going to work, my next shift wasn't until the next night. Laying on the couch, I began reading a book. Hanajima was laying down over me, she had a colorful picture book in her hands. With the windows open, we could hear the soft sounds of the wind chimes as they blew in the wind. They sounded melodic and before I knew it, I had drifted to sleep.

The phone's harsh ring woke me from my nap. I jumped awake, rousing Hana in the process, and grabbed the nearby wireless phone. "Hello?" I answered groggily.

"Hey. I'm not waking you up am I?" Ichigo's voice spoke on the other end. "You're sleeping this early? It's not even seven." He laughed, obviously amused.

I sighed before replying. "I fell asleep while reading. It's not like I'm curled up in bed." Feeling Hanajima shift onto her stomach, I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her closer. "So, whats up?"

I heard him inhale sharply before answering. "...I was just calling to ask...if you had a good time yesterday." The confidence from before had left his voice.

"Why do you call if you don't know what you're going to say?" I smiled at his nervous attitude.

"Uh...sorry...bye." As he was about to hang up, I started laughing.

"That doesn't mean you have to hang up. Take a deep breath, think about why you called and speak. Can you do that?" I heard a quiet nervous laugh.

"Okay, yeah I think I can handle it." Again, there was another sharp inhale, a moment of silence, and then he began forming his thoughts into words. "I called to ask if you wanted to go see a movie and have dinner with me tomorrow night."

Shocked, I was silent for a minute. I quickly thought it through and decided to say yes when I remembered my work schedule. "Uh, I can't"

"...Oh...Okay..."

"I have to work tomorrow night." I added hastily, recognizing his defeated tone.

"Oh. Do you need a ride?"

"Not really, I was planning on walking, but thank you."

"Are you sure? Is Hana going to be able to walk that far?" My smile widened when I heard his concern for my daughter.

"Do you even know where I work? It's not that far, really."

"Okay...well, then..." I could hear the finality in his response.

"If you really wanna give me a ride, I guess I could let you. Walkings not that great anyways."

"Oh, okay. What time should I pick you up?"

"About six-thirty."

"When should I pick you up from work?"

"Well, my shift ends at twelve-thirty so if you really want to pick me up, I'd say at twelve-thirty." He laughed again and assured me he'd be there. "Thanks again," was my response.

"So..." he started. "What about Tuesday night?"

"What about it?"

"Do you...need a ride to work?" I held back a laugh. I saw through his facade. He thinks he's so sneaky, asking if I needed a ride. It was obvious he was just making sure I was free.

"No, I don't work that night. But thanks for the offer." Glancing at the clock, I noticed the time. I'd been on the phone for nearly twenty minutes. The other end was silent. "So, is that all you wanted?"

"Well, since you don't have work..."

"Yeah?"

"Do you wanna go out Tuesday?" His voice sounded slightly shakey. He was cute when he was nervous. I decided to stop teasing him and put him out of his misery.

"Sure, sounds great."

"...Really?" Surprised, that was all he said.

"Yeah, really. We're you expecting a no?"

"I didn't know what to expect." He answered honestly. "So...I'll pick you up tomorrow at six-thirty and around seven on Tuesday? Does that sound okay?"

"That's fine."

"Are you going to be able to find a babysitter for Hana?" Wrapped up in the whole situation, I forgot about that minor detail.

"Oh, yeah..."

"I can ask Mina, if your comfortable with that."

"Yeah that sounds fine."

"Alright, well I'll ask her tonight and let you know tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

" 'Kay, bye." I hung up without another word and sat the phone back in its cradle. I began reading again but found it too difficult to focus with my mind on other things.

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_Ichigo's POV_

After asking Rukia out, I called Mina asked about the babysitting and got off the phone as soon as possible to dodge any uncomfortable conversation with her. She agreed and I let Rukia know the next day. Tuesday came pretty quickly and passed by just as rapidly. All through work I thought about my plans for the evening and when it was time to head home, I couldn't believe how swiftly the day had occurred.

When I got home, I grabbed a small bite to eat and sat at my kitchen table. I grabbed the newspaper and began scanning through the movie schedule, planning the afternoon in more detail. I picked three possible movies that all started near the same time and figured out when we'd arrive at the restaurant for dinner. The rest of the afternoon, I attempted to stay busy. I cleaned up the house, I took a shower, I started laundry and did the dishes and still had time to watch an hour of television. It seemed to me that the closer it got to my date, the slower time passed by. That was definitely annoying.

It was **finally **time for me to go pick Rukia up. I nervously ran a hand through my hair on the way there and glanced in the rear view mirror. _I hope I don't make an idiot of myself tonight,_ I thought as I absently tightened my grip on the wheel. A few minutes later, I was at her door, knocking while tapping my foot anxiously. When she opened the door, I couldn't help but stare a little. She was wearing a long black sundress with lace and embroidering on both of the short sleeves. On her feet were bright yellow flats and resting on her shoulder was her purse. Her hair was down, settling lightly on the tops of her shoulders while framing her face. She smiled and greeted me, offering me something to drink before we left.

"No, thanks. So...did Mina come pick up Hanajima?" Rukia nodded.

"Yeah about fifteen minutes ago, thanks again for asking."

"No problem," I answered and gave her a grin. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yup," she said as she took a step closer to the door. She began walking towards the truck leaving me to follow behind her like she's done before. I caught up to her and opened the door for her again, ignoring her complaints of capability. She rolled her eyes while smiling and pulled herself in, used to the height of my truck by now. The car ride was quick but filled with small talk the whole way there, she'd demanded the radio be ignored this time. I simply smiled and nodded, not minding the conversation. She asked about my job and I informed her that I was just a volunteer with the fire department. I described my construction business to her in a few breif sentences and listed a few simple jobs I'd done on houses in the neighborhood. By the time we arrived at the theatre, we'd both learned a few more things about each other.

In line I gave her the three options we had and told her it was completely her choice. One was a comedy, she shrugged that off as a last resort. Another was a romance, I through that in there for her only to get laughed at. Thankfully she rejected that one. The last was a horror and she automatically chose that one. I was shocked at her enthusiasm but glad to have chosen a movie she'd enjoy.

We chose our seats, Rukia was also a back row kind of person, and waited for the movie to start. There was some more small talk, nothing important, just first date kind of questions. Before we knew it the movie began playing. I was surprised at how calm she stayed during the movie, she wasn't like most girls who would scream at every little thing that occurred in a horror film. She found some parts humorous, which I found cute in a wicked kind of way, and seemed to like it. In the middle of the movie, we had a friendly argument over the rightful owner to the armrest between us; needless to say, I lost. The first half of our date went really well and by the time the movie was over, we were both pretty excited for dinner.

Once seated at our table in the restaurant, we started really getting to know each other. She asked more personal questions than the ones from our car rides and I did the same. We were talking about Hana when our food arrived at the table.

"So what exactly is wrong? Why can't she speak?" I asked trying to be as sensitive to the subject as possible.

"I'm not sure, the dozens of doctors I've been to all tell me something different. They've given me a thousand possibilities but no answers." She took a sip of her water after answering. "Right now they _think_ it's central auditory processing disorder. That just means for some unknown reason, she has trouble with words and communication. It's just a mess, they don't know if she'll ever get better, they don't really know anything about it." She shrugged and took a bite of her food.

"That must be really hard." That was all I could think to say. She didn't seem to mind, she smiled up at me and changed the subject.

"So, what about you? You said you were born and raised here right? Do your parents still live here? Do you have any siblings?" I tensed at the familiar questions. My family. Not a great topic. Rukia noticed and furrowed her brow. I think she understood but I forced the words out anyway.

"Um, my family died a while back."

"...All of them?" Concern was etched on her face and I appreciated it.

"Yeah...they all died in a fire back when I was eight." I turned my gaze elsewhere, not looking at Rukia. I felt her small hand reach over and pat my arm comfortingly.

"I'm so sorry." I shook my head and assured her it was fine. We sat in silence for a few minutes before I brought up a new subject. After a moment or two, we were able to push through the awful conversation. The rest of the night went smoothly and we made it all the way back to her home before I realized how much I liked Rukia. She was funny and spunky and strong. I decided to ask her out and soon.

On the way back we swung by Mina's to pick up Hanajima who latched onto me immediantly and quickly fell asleep in the car. Rukia told her to sit still and not distract me while driving, but before we knew it, she was curled up with her head on my arm snoring. Her little fists filled with bundles of my shirt.

Walking her to the door, I felt a little like a teenager again, other than the fact that my date had a four year old, whom I was assigned to carry. I hadn't felt this good about a first date in a while and I wasn't sure how she'd want me to act. Finding her keys, she smiled up at me, straining her neck to see my face, like she's done since I met her. We both knew I was going to bring Hana in to bed, but we officially ended our date on the porch, like normal people, according to Rukia. We told each other that we had a great time and she thanked me again. I was debating whether or not I should kiss her goodnight but before I had the chance, Rukia had opened the door and held it open for me to come inside.

I layed Hana in her bed and Rukia walked me to the door again, where we said a second round of goodnights. I decided that I wasn't going to kiss her and was turning to leave before she caught my arm and pulled me back. Before I could say anything, she grabbed a handful of my shirt and pulled me down closer to her, gently kissing me on the cheeck. Again, before I got a word in she shoved me back and said goodnight, closing the door with a smile on her face.

On the ride home I was already planning our second date, pretty confident she'd agree. I couldn't believe the wonderful night I had or how much I liked Rukia. For the first time in a long time, I went to bed with someone special on my mind.

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Well there you go, chapter seven :D

I personally liked this chapter, a lot of Ichigo and Rukia's personalities came out and they're uber cute together! :) Hope you all felt the same!


	8. Chapter 8

Back again! :D Sorry I wasn't able to put a chapter up yesterday. My friend was over and I wanted to be a proper host! :)

I should let everyone know that I probably wont be able put post half as often starting Monday. School starts again and I'll have more things to do and I'm going to be really busy. I'm sorry! I really enjoy writing everyday! :D I'll do my best to keep up!

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_Rukia's POV_

It was a few days after my date with Ichigo, I was sitting at my kitchen table reading the newspaper and sipping on some of Hanajima's juice. The morning passed quietly and quickly which was relaxing. Hana had been taking a nap for over an hour and the house was completely silent. I hadn't gotten a call from Ichigo since the day after our dinner and to be honest I was a little bummed. The evening rolled in and Hanajima still hadn't waken from her slumber. I checked on her a few times before sitting back at the table. I had nearly the entire paper read when the phone rang, the noise surprising me and causing me to jump in my seat.

I kept my hopes low that it would be Ichigo calling and answered expecting anyone. "Hello?"

"Rukia?" Michiru's voice answered back. "Hey, I was just checking if you've heard from Ichigo lately?"

"Oh, well he called me a few days ago but that's the last time I've spoken to him, why? Is everything okay? You sound a little worried." My brow creased as I spoke.

"Well, there was a fire today and Renji said he disappeared afterwards. Sometimes he freaks out after a serious fire and leaves without telling anyone. I just wanted to check on him but I can't get a hold of him. Hisagi went to his house but he said he wasn't there." The concern was noticeable in her voice.

"How long has it been since anyone's seen him?"

"He disappeared around five-thirty," she stated simply. I glanced at the clock to see that it was going on seven o'clock. About an hour and a half? That was a long time for a person to be missing. Michiru spoke again, realizing the train of my thoughts. "Don't worry about it, he's been gone like this before. He just likes to keep to himself sometimes, if we hear anything or find him I'll be sure to let you know. Sorry if my call caused you any anxiety."

"Oh, no it didn't. I'll let you know if I hear from him, thanks for letting me know Michiru." We said goodbye and hung up after that. I sat back at the table and tried to concentrate on the paper in front of me, finding it difficult. My thoughts continued to drift back to Ichigo and once I realized it would be impossible to read anymore I pushed the newspaper aside. The rest of the night I continued to worry. I didn't receive another call or update. I went to bed that night with no more news on the subject of Ichigo's disappearance. It was ten when I laid down and it took me almost a full hour to fall asleep.

It wasn't but a few hours after I retired when I heard the quiet knocking on the front door. I sat up quickly and got out of bed. Looking in Hana's door, I double checked to make sure she was still in bed. I walked over to the window and peaked out to steal a glance at the person on the other side of my door. When I comprehended the fact that I wasn't going to see anything, I moved to the door opening it just a crack. "Hello? Who's there?" I asked, tightening my grip on the doorknob.

"Rukia?" I heard a groggy voice say before recognizing Ichigo's mummer.

"Ichigo?" Cautiously, I pulled the door open a little wider before looking up to see him leaning against the side of the door frame. He reeked of alcohol, the stench causing me to step back. "Have you been drinking?" The stupid question slipped out of my mouth without warning. Ichigo didn't answer so I pulled open the door and led him inside, guiding him by the arm. I pulled him over to the couch and nudged him until he was sitting. "Would you like something to drink? Like water?" He just shook his head and looked up at me. His eyes were glazed over and he looked exhausted. I sat on the other end of the couch and returned his gaze.

"I'm sorry..." he said quietly.

"Sorry? For what?" No answer. "Ichigo, why are you here? What's wrong? Where have you been?" I attempted but failed to keep the concern out of my tone.

"I...I'm sorry for waking you up." He glanced at the clock and turned his attention back to me. "What time is it?"

I couldn't help but laugh quietly at his epic fail of reading the clock. "It's two-fifteen in the morning."

"...Holy crap. I'm really sorry." Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, he seemed to think his vision would get better. He leaned back on the couch and starred off, looking more tired than before.

"Michiru told me there was a fire...do you wanna talk about it?" I tried to be sensitive to the topic. He shook his head.

"I don't know." His words were becoming more distinct, he seemed be focusing more. I was glad to have his attention.

Bravely, I grabbed his arm and asked what happened. He didn't reply right away but I gave him the patience he needed. "I guess...I'm just scared..."

"Of the fire?"

He slowly nodded and said, "Yeah, I guess that's why I came here." The fact that he was drunk came to mind and I wondered if he would have admitted that while sober. My guess was no.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He sighed and rested his elbows on his knees. "You don't have to." Ignoring my last comment, he began describing the terrible accident. He told me about how the fire started; apparently a few kids living there were messing with matches in the garage while their parents were gone. Ichigo said that everyone had gotten out but the oldest forgot they were babysitting their three year old sister who was still inside. The little girl had been taking a nap in her crib and they hadn't remembered her presence until they were already out of the burning building. Ichigo was one of the first to arrive and volunteered to go inside. After that, he told me how he got inside and quickly got to the child. He was on his way out when his only exit caught on fire. The room was on the second floor and escaping through the window wasn't an option unless absolutely necessary. Because the fire had just spread in front of the door, Ichigo claimed there was still a chance he could make it through. He wrapped the little girl in his flame retardant jacket, pulling her close against his chest and hastily made his way through the house. Thankfully the stair case was still in tact and he was soon in the front yard. The little girl was perfectly fine with no burns but after a minute outside, Ichigo had passed out in the yard.

The next thing he remembered was waking up a few minutes later with a horrible headache sitting up on a gurney in the back of an ambulance with an oxygen mask over his mouth. Hisagi was there, they weren't going anywhere, they were still at the house. The fire was taken care of and Hisagi was checking up on him. Then he told me that he left but wouldn't tell me where he had gone. I didn't push the subject, realizing that he'd been talking for about twenty minutes. We sat in a moment of silence before I glanced up at him. His eyes were slowly closing and his breathing deepened. I was relieved that he was finally getting some rest. Carefully I pulled my hand out of his, he'd grabbed it absently in the middle of his story, and stood from my seat. Using most of my strength, I took hold of his ankles and pulled his legs onto the couch. I gently nudged him until he was laying down and covered him up before going back to bed. The last thought to enter my mind before I quickly fell asleep was the fact that Ichigo was out there, sleeping on my couch.

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_Ichigo's POV_

I woke to small hands poking me in my face repetitively. Groaning, I carefully pushed the hand away before opening my eyes. Hanajima was standing in front of me. She was still dressed in her pajamas and her hair was everywhere. Looking around I didn't see Rukia anywhere, Hana must have woken up before her mother. I looked down at her and smiled. Her little hand shot up and she pointed her index finger at me.

"Ichigo." Surprised, my eyes widened. I'd only heard her speak once or twice before, how'd she learn my name? I pushed my shock away. I heard Rukia walk into the living room, entering through the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes and leaned against the nearest wall.

"Good morning," she stated before covering her mouth to yawn. I couldn't help but smile, she looked exactly like Hanajima. Her hair was a wild mess and she was dressed in sweats with a large tshirt.

"Morning," I answered. "Hey, did you know Hana could say my name?" She simply nodded her head.

"Yeah, I taught her a few days ago. Ever since she met you she's been trying to say it. She kept getting stuck on the 'ch.' It sounded more like Iseego." I laughed quietly and quickly discovered my pounding headache. I held my head in my hands and memories from the night before started flashing back. _I'd come to Rukia?_ The thought surprised me.

"Are you okay? Do you want some aspirin?" She looked concerned and when she took a step closer I saw her wrinkle her nose.

"What?"

"You. You still smell of alcohol." She smiled before leaving to grab some medicine and a glass of water. "Here," she said as she handed me the cup.

"Thanks." I carefully grabbed the two small pills from her hand before swallowing them. Swiftly I gulped down the remaining water.

"Did you wanna take a shower or something?"

"Do I smell that bad?" I grinned up at her only to see her nod. "No, thanks. I'll wait until I'm home." Rukia was about to say something when Hanajima grabbed my sleeve and tugged forcefully.

"Food?" She continued to pull on my sleeve.

Smiling, I answered, "No thanks."

"Are you sure?" I turned my attention back to Rukia. "You should eat something." I was tempted to stay but decided against it. I shook my head again.

"No, really, I've gotta get home and get ready for work. Thanks for the offer." I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "And thanks for last night. I'm really sorry for barging in here so late."

"It's fine, I hope you were able to sleep okay, you look a little too big for that couch." Her smile widened and she took a step closer to Hanajima.

"Yeah, I slept fine." I stretched before standing. "I better get going." Rukia nodded up at me and walked me to the door after I said goodbye to Hana. "Thanks again, for everything." I stopped just outside the door and turned to face her.

"No problem. I hope you feel better, you seemed pretty drunk last night." She laughed again and I realized how much I liked the sound of it.

I sighed. "Yeah, I was. I wanna apologize again for waking you up so late, that wont happen again, really."

"Ichigo, it's fine. I'm glad you came. I hope I was able to make you feel better."

Nodding I said, "You were, thanks." I took a small step back and looked down at her. "Would it be okay if I gave you a call this afternoon?"

"That'd be perfectly fine." She also took a step back about to shut the door without another word. I quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. Leaning down, **a lot**, I gently kissed her on the cheeck before mockingly and carefully pushing her back a step. With that I left without saying anything else. With my back turned to her, I couldn't see her smiling but I heard her loud laughter as I opened my truck door.

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_Rukia's POV_

I was waiting for Ichigo's call all day. At first I thought I'd be able to push the thought away but after his little stunt he pulled, mocking me like that in the doorway, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I did my best to focus on Hanajima's lesson and get through the rest of the day giving her all my attention but it was harder than it seemed.

At five o'clock I didn't think I'd be able to wait much longer. I had everything done and was attempting to read a book on the couch with Hana but I continued to lose focus, glancing at the clock every few minutes. About ten after five, the phone rang and I was sure that if Ichigo wasn't the one calling, I'd kill whoever was. I let it ring three times before answering. "Hello?" Thankfully, Ichigo's voice relied.

"Hey. How are you?"

"Good. You? Are you feeling better?"

"I'm fine. Feeling much better. Thanks."

"Yup." He was silent and when I realized he wasn't going to say anything, I decided I would. "Why are you always so quiet on the phone?"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't notice..."

"You don't need to apologize. I'm just curious. Well, if you're not going to say, I'll ask. Why'd you call?" He laughed at my blunt statement.

"To talk."

"Then talk, Ichigo."

"..." I sighed loudly.

"You are so frustrating." Again he laughed and apologized. I heard him take a deep breathe and I had the feeling he was going to say something. Nothing. "What? What were you gonna say?"

"Nothing," he state and I could tell he was enjoying my impatience.

"Ichigo." I said sternly.

"Yes?"

"What were you going to say?!" He kept this up for a few minutes. Finally he showed me mercy and inhaled deeply again.

"I called to ask if you'd wanna go out again this weekend?" I smiled victoriously before answering.

"Hm, I dunno. Can I really put up with your annoying behavior? I'll have to think about it."

"Oh, come on. That was a joke, joke's aren't annoying. You just need some patience."

"Yeah, thats true. Get me some and I guess I'll go." I heard his laugh on the other end.

"Okay, I'll bring you some patience. Is Friday good?"

"Sounds good. Oh, and one more thing."

"Yeah?"

"Don't ever pull a stunt like you did this morning again. I don't like to be mocked." With that, I hung up the phone, not interested in his response. Another date, I didn't expect him to ask so soon. I picked up a sleeping Hanajima and layed her in her bed.

I moved into the kitchen and started washing the dishes. Anything to keep me busy. I had to keep busy for the next four days, until our date. I smiled to myself in the kitchen.

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Okay here's chapter..eight...right? lol i'm not sure

like I said before sorry for the delay! :) hope you all enjoyed! :)


	9. Chapter 9

Hey, I'm back again! Chapter nine on its way.

This might be the last chance I get to update in a while and I'm sorry for that. I really hope I can make time around school to write! :)

Anyhoo, here's chapter nine!

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_Rukia's POV_

The days flew by and before I knew it, Friday was already here. I found a babysitter for Hana again, Michiru taking a turn, and began packing her little backpack with some things she'd need. Hanajima was watching me quietly and I glanced up at her, making sure she was alright.

"You okay sweety?"

"You leave?" Her cute little eyebrows scrunched together, her expression screamed anger. She didn't like me leaving her with what she considered strangers and when she realized I was going to be with Ichigo, her anger turned into jealousy. I couldn't help but smile and nod.

"Yes sweety, I'm going out again. But if it makes you feel better, Ichigo's going to pick you up again tonight. Okay?"

"Ichigo?" Laughing slightly, I nodded again.

"Yes, Ichigo. Now calm down, Michiru's going to pick you up in a few minutes." I lightly patted her face and kissed her head before standing. I tugged on my shirt, readjusting it. I decided tonight I wouldn't wear a dress. I picked out a pair of black straight legs and a dressy purple shirt. There were a few designs swirling around on the back of the top. On my feet were black distinctive sandals, the straps laying in elaborate designs. Again, I let my hair fall naturally on my shoulders, choosing not to deal with it.

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. I got up to answer it but was beaten to it by Hana. She must have thought it was Ichigo and when seeing Michiru instead, she folded her arms and pouted. Both Michiru and myself chuckled at her reaction. I handed the backpack to Hanajima and reminded her to behave. She nodded reluctantly and gave me a hug before leaving with Michiru.

I had about five minutes before Ichigo was supposed to show up and decided to relax. I sat on the couch and began reading, finding it easier than it had been all week. Lost in the book, I almost didn't hear Ichigo's sheepish knock. After registering what the sound was, I got up and opened the door. I looked up and to my surprise he was holding a small bouquet of flowers. Taking a step back, I invited him in for a minute.

"I couldn't find any patience." That was all he said, no explanation, but I knew what he was talking about. Referring to our conversation on the phone a few days ago, he said he'd bring me patience. I began laughing loudly, I couldn't help myself.

"So you get _impatiens?_" He shrugged and smiled down at me broadly.

"Close enough." This caused me to continue laughing, I keeled over and held my stomach as I slowly gained composure. "You okay?" He was just standing there watching me and though I was able to control my laughing, I couldn't keep the smile off my face.

"Yes, thank you." I took the flowers from him and quickly placed them in a vase full of water, ready to leave. Leading him out to the truck, this sort of became a habit, we set out on our second date. In the truck Ichigo informed me that he had planned another dinner and movie, promising some more creativity in the near future. I liked his confidence that there would be another date but made no comment.

The evening went smoothly, just like it had before. The movie was great, another thriller and in the middle of it Ichigo absently grabbed my hand. I didn't let go until after the movie was over. Dinner was good too, not at the same place, which I told him counted as his "creativity" for this date.

We were in the middle of dinner, getting to know more about each other, when Ichigo asked a question I wasn't expecting. "Hey, uh, can I ask you something?" I nodded and he continued. "Where's Hanajima's dad?"

My eyes widened and Ichigo shook his head like he was ending the conversation before it started. "It's okay, I'm just surprised you asked. I don't really know where he is. I hate to admit this but I only met him once. It was a very stupid decision and I was drunk out of my mind."

He smiled and held back a laugh. "**You** were drunk?"

"Yup. It was my last year of college and one of my 'friends' convinced me to go out with her. It was just a dumb choice I made."

"Do you regret it?" I shook my head before explaining.

"I regret him, but he gave me Hana and she's the best thing thats ever happened to me. I love her and I'd be all alone if it weren't for her." After a few moments of silence he spoke again.

"What's his name?"

"Kaien Shiba." I smiled at his strange curiosity. "Why?" His shoulders rose slightly and we moved on to another topic. In the middle of an unimportant conversation, a man walked up to our table, someone I didn't recognize. We both looked up confused and Ichigo strived to take control of the weird situation.

"Can we help you?" His expression was stern, he acted as though he knew the man and didn't appreciate the interuptance. Ignoring Ichigo completely, the stranger turned to me and grinned.

"Hey, your the new girl in town, right?" His hands were resting on the table and he leaned down closer to me.

"Um, I suppose you could call me that. Do you need something?" He laughed at my statement and bent down putting less distance between us.

"I'm Kon. Your name's Rukia right?" I nodded and slid back further in my seat. "Maybe we could get together sometime." Before waiting for an answer, he began scribbling down his phone number on a scrap piece of paper he pulled out of his pocket. He held it out to me, wanting me to accept it. I tried to keep my disgust to myself and when I glanced over at Ichigo I noticed how tense he was. He seemed apprehensive and didn't seem to know what to expect on my part. I thought it over and took the piece of paper, noticing the victory in Kon's eyes and the surprise in Ichigo's. Studying the paper and smiling back up at Kon, I made my decision and began ripping up his number before tossing it in Kon's direction.

"No, thanks," was all I said before turning back to my date. Ichigo turned away from Kon and held back his laughter. I glanced up at the man who was still standing there. He was glaring down at me angrily and stepped back like he was leaving.

"Stupid bit-" Ichigo cut him off before allowing him to finish.

"Leave now." His voice was threatening and after that Kon stomped off. I smiled up at him.

"Thanks." Ichigo nodded and didn't say anything else related to the topic, obviously dismissing it. The rest of the afternoon went well and before we knew it, it was time to go pick up Hanajima. The car ride over was filled with small talk and I brought up Kon and thanked him again for sticking up for me.

"No problem." He sighed. "I can't stand that guy, he's always acting like that." Nodding, I didn't add anything right away.

"Well, I thought you handled it pretty well. But you acted like you were going to kill him, it's not like I've never been called a bitch before." He shrugged and stayed silent before grabbing my hand again. I gave his hand a squeeze and leaned back in my chair. The rest of the ride was filled with comfortable silence until we reached my house, Hanajima laying over my lap asleep. I asked Ichigo if he wanted to come in for something to drink and after a moment of thinking it over he accepted my offer. He carried Hanajima in to her bed and covered her up. Then he followed me to the kitchen where I poured two glasses of juice. Ichigo made himself at home and sat on the couch. I opened a window to let some fresh air in and took a seat next to him.

For the next twenty minutes we sipped on our juice and chatted about unimportant things and when we reached another comfortable silence, I reached over and grabbed the remote, turning on some random show with the volume set low. "Am I boring you?" Ichigo asked and jokingly grabbed the button from my hand.

"No, your just so quiet." I shrugged and leaned my head back on the couch, lightly putting some of my weight on his arm as well. My eyes began to feel heavy and before I knew it I drifted off to sleep.

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_Ichigo's POV_

Once I realized that Rukia was asleep, I thought about what I should do. I wasn't sure if I should carry her to bed or if that would be crossing a line. I didn't want to leave her on the couch and go home, so I carefully pulled her closer and layed down continuing to watch the television. I felt Rukia's small hand grab onto my shirt, like her daughter's done many times before and couldn't help but smile. I wrapped an arm around her tiny waist and rested my head against hers. I soon realized that I was falling in love with Rukia and couldn't help but stiffen at the thought. _I've never been in love..._I forced the thought out of my head and quickly relaxed again. With the mixture of the nights cool breeze and the sound of the windchime hanging outside, it only took me a few minutes to slowly fall asleep.

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Okay here it is! :D I felt like the ending was weird but hey I'm sorta in a rush today! :P

Hope everyone liked it! Continue to review!


	10. Chapter 10

Hello! :D I've missed being able to write! I'm uber excited to be able to update! :) Hope you all enjoy!

Well here it is!

_Rukia's POV_

Thunder woke me early the next morning. Disoriented, I glanced at the clock to find that it was about seven-thirty. I stretched out my legs to find another pair sprawled out under mine. Looking up I saw Ichigo's orange mop of hair and my eyes widened. _He stayed here all night?_ His mouth hung open while he quietly airsnored, it was cute. I couldn't help but smile. This was comfortable and surprisingly easy. I always thought having a relationship while raising Hanajima would be difficult but so far it felt simple and comforting.

I decided to get up and check on Hana. As I shifted over Ichigo his arms slid off my waist and to my surprise he didn't wake up. Glancing towards the window again I noticed the early morning storm. There was a hint of the sun that was clouded over. A sheet of sleek rain was pouring rhythmically and the slightest flash of thunder appeared, obviously from a far distance. What a peaceful way to wake up. This was the type of storm even Hana would find soothing.

As soon as I took a step closer to Hanajima's room, Ichigo mumbled and shifted. When I turned to him he was sitting up and stretching tiredly. Noticing my presence, he piveted his head towards me and plastered a smile on his face. There was a pink tint to his cheecks that made him look like a high school kid.

"Morning." I grinned back at him and took a small step closer to the couch.

"Good morning, Rukia." He stretched his legs out over the side of the couch and rested his elbows on his knees creating less of a height difference. Our eyes were practically level. He reached out and surprised me by taking my hand and pulling me closer. His eyes rested on mine and we just stayed there watching each other for what seemed like forever. We would have stayed there longer if it weren't for Hana.

As soon as she saw Ichigo she ran up to us and screamed his name. I'd never heard her that loud before. It caught me off guard but Ichigo didn't notice. He let go of my hand and picked her up, sitting her on his lap. I took a step back and watched them for a moment. They looked so natural together and they both held sincere expressions on their face. It seemed as though they understood the others feelings and had a sort of understanding. After pondering over this scene I didn't realize that I was staring. Ichigo's eyes shifted to mine again and his smile faltered. Concern crossed his face and I looked away breifly.

"Are you alright, Ruk?" His brow creased and he almost forgot Hana. I didn't answer right away. Nodding, I smiled again and finally answered.

"Yes, I'm fine, thanks. Did you want to stay for breakfast?" I never thought I'd be asking anyone that. His expression didn't change right away but after a moment his eyebrows rise slightly. He thought about it and finally decided.

"Sure, if I'm not causing an inconveinence." He smiled shyly and sat Hanajima back on the floor. She forgot about her earlier enthusiasm and went to the kitchen to search for food.

"Of course you're not. I invited you, you goob." I laughed and slightly shook my head.

"Goob?" He stood and followed me to the kitchen, walking close.

The morning continued for about an hour after breakfast and Ichigo finally had to leave. He played with Hanajima for a fair amount of the time while I washed the dishes and got a chance to relax while watching the two of them. Before leaving Ichigo picked up Hana's toys and told her to "be good and focus for your mom." I led him to the door and followed him out to the porch. The storm was still steadily pouring down around us and the air felt nice compared to inside the house.

Before I could say anything, Ichigo bent down and quickly kissed me on the lips. I smiled and kissed his cheek. I thought after that he'd say goodbye and leave but instead of straightening up he wrapped his arms around me. He rested his forehead on my shoulder and pulled me close to his body. "I've had a really good time being with you Rukia..." He didn't add anything or make any movement. I stayed still for a brief moment before reacting. Eventually I hugged onto his waist and rested my head against his.

"I've had a good time too." His grip tightened slightly before he pulled away. He smiled broadly and gave me one last kiss. We made plans to see each other the next chance we had and he left. I spent the rest of the afternoon waiting for the day to pass.

While cleaning up in the livingroom later that afternoon, I found myself thinking about breakfast and everything that happened. My memories and thoughts were flying through my mind absently when something hit me. _I'm in love with Ichigo!_ My feelings had been growing for him ever since I met him and I'd realized that but this hit me so suddenly. I couldn't help but grin. _I'm in love with Ichigo._

_Ichigo's POV_

After that morning, Rukia and I had started spending every moment possible together. I'd visit her and Hana during lunch and give her rides to work. In the afternoons I'd pick Ruk and Hanajima up after work and we'd have dinner at my place or go out. It became a routine for us and we eventually began staying over at each others house over night. I never thought waking up with Rukia there could make me so happy. It definately made early mornings better.

During this time I grew extremely close to Hana. She followed me everywhere and hold her arms out until I'd pick her up. I loved that kid. Whenever Rukia needed time to get something done or had an unexpected shift at work, Hanajima and I'd play together and once in a while I'd get the chance to take her to the park. I never thought I'd get so attached to a child. Children always liked me but I was never a huge kid fan.

Not only would we play, she started talking to me, well to the best of her ability. She'd string togheter all these thoughts. We'd have conversations, well the closest thing she could offer as a conversation, and I came to learn a lot about her. It became a regular thing. We'd draw and talk about what we did that day. After a few days I thought nothing of it. The first time Rukia overheard us she stood there in awe and started crying. She said that Hanajima never talked that much and refused to put her vocabulary together like that in a lesson. She didn't stop crying for nearly thirty minutes.

The more time I spent with Rukia, the less I spent with my Renji or Hisagi. They and their wives began calling me more and more often complaining. They said I was "detaching myself" and always invited me to bring Rukia and Hanajima over for lunch or dinner or some sort of group event. I declined for the first few weeks, I didn't think Rukia and I were ready, but after the calls and invitations continued I finally agreed. I told Mina that I'd ask Rukia and let her know. So I planned the perfect time to ask.

One afternoon while Rukia and I were watching a movie at my place, I decided to ask her about going over to Renji and Mina's house. I stretched my legs out onto the coffee table and layed my arm over Ruk's shoulders. She rested her weight against my chest and layed her tiny legs over mine. I couldn't help but smile at the difference in our legs length. Her feet reached just slightly past my knees. Rukia noticed my expressions and smiled up at me.

"What?" Her bright violet eyes caught mine and I swear she saw right through me. She glanced down at her feet and rolled her eyes. "Ha ha. I'm short big deal." Her smile widened and she turned back to the television.

"It's cute." She glance at me and shook her head but kept her attention set on the t.v. "Hey Rukia," I stated to get her attention. She turned and looked up at me, her expression told me she was listening. "Do you want to go to Renji and Mina's for a cookout this weekend?" Her eyes slightly widened before she answered.

"...Sure if you want." She turned away dismissively but her tone was nervous. Either she didn't want to go or she was anxious about going.

"Rukia, we don't have to if you don't want to." I sat up and turned my body towards her slightly blocking her view of the screen. Her eyes shifted up towards my face and she shook her head.

"It's fine, Ichigo." She weakly smiled and attempted to brush it off.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, you haven't seen your friends in a while. It's fine, really." She leaned closer to me and knudged me back against the couch.

"Are you still nervous around them?" I felt my brow furrow and I noticed her smile widen.

"I'm not sure. I guess. I'm just not used to being around so many people."

"Don't worry, I won't let them bother you." I absently pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. The faint scent of lilacs sifted through her hair.

"I know, I'm not worried about them bothering me. I'm fine, just a little nervous." She looked up at me and plastered a smile on her face, pretending it didn't bother her. I saw right through that mask and all over her face, her expression screamed, _I'm not ready for this!_

okay here it is! :D Hope you enjoyed! I'm so happy I was able to write again! :)

Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

Hello I'm back again! :D Super excited to get to write so soon again! :P Anyhoo here's chapter eleven!

_Rukia's POV_

After we finished our movie, Ichigo got up and called Mina, letting her know we'd be at their get together. I was extremely nervous but I wouldn't tell Ichigo that. He thought I was uncomfortable around his friends but that wasn't it. I just wanted them to like me. They were so important to Ichigo and I wasn't sure if he was looking for their approval. The whole subject made my stomach twist in a knot.

That night we were laying in bed listening to the rain tap against the window. The sound was so relaxing, I was almost able to fall asleep. When I was nearly unconcious I felt Ichigo turn toward me and nudge me with his elbow. My first instinct was to ignore him, he was always waking me up for something insignificant. So I turned my head and burried it in my pillow and just groaned as he continued.

"Rukia this is really important, wake up for a minute." His hand rested on my back and began shaking me violently. I sighed loudly attempting to hide my amusemant.

"What Ichigo?" I didn't turn back to him causing my voice to sound muffled.

"Are you sure you want to go? You didn't seem very convincing before." His hand moved up and he began absently pushing around some of my hair. I couldn't hide my irritated sigh.

"I said it was fine didn't I?"

"That doesn't mean anything. I don't want to go if you're going to be uncomfortable." Concern was thick in his voice and I couldn't help but smile. I finally sat my head up and pushed my bangs out of my eyes.

"Ichigo, I already told you, I'm nervous but I want to go. Your friends are nice and you haven't seem them in so long. I want to go, okay? I wont be uncomfortable, just a little anxious. Now can I please go to sleep?" Ichigo nodded and smiled warmly, his concern had left his eyes.

"Yes. Sorry I woke you." He leaned over and lightly kissed my forehead, the way he sometimes did to Hanajima. Laying his head down on his pillow, he looked ready to sleep himself. His body was turned on it's side and though his eyes were still watching me, they slowly drooped shut before sliding back open. I curled up next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. My other hand grabbed a hold of his t-shirt and soon I drifted of to sleep, no longer worried about Mina's dinner event.

The next few days went by quickly. Before I knew it, it was Saturday and Ichigo was picking me up for lunch with Renji and everyone else. I let him in and went back to the kitchen, not responding to his greetings. The anxiousnes came back and I felt smothered like I wasn't prepared. I double checked my bag to make sure I had everything I needed for Hanajima and walking through the house, I locked all the doors and windows. The whole time I ignored whatever Ichigo was saying until he stepped in front of me, forcing my atention on him. I stepped back and he grabbed my arm as if I would continue my nervous rampage.

"Rukia, calm down. What's wrong?" His brow was creased and worry was all over his face.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm checking the windows and doors. I'm trying to hurry so we're not late." Taking another step back I slipped out of his grip but he continued to block me. "Will you please move?"

"Ruk, they're all locked. I watched you lock them and check them all. Stop worrying, you're acting so strange." A slight smile slipped on his face and he grabbed my hand. "Now let's go." Moving closer to the door, he tugged on my hand and picked up my bag. I thanked him and took the bag, letting out a loud anxious sigh.

In the car, Ichigo continued to hold my hand even when I tried to pull away to open my window. He smiled, not taking his eyes off the road and took his free hand off the steering wheel to open it from his side. I rolled my eyes and grinned at his actions. The rest of the ride was quiet and seemed comfortable but in the silence my earlier spazz attack came back to me. I used my available hand and dug through my purse making sure I had Hana's emergency inhaler and my house keys. The list of objects that I needed to search for grew until everything in my bag seemed to gain importance. I checked over the imaginary list again and made it half way through when Ichigo snatched my bag away all together.

"Will you knock it off? You have everything okay?" He looked over at me concerned and finally pulled his hand away to rest it on the wheel. "Please tell me this is just some nervous habit, Rukia. I don't want you to stress out over something so irrelevent. Do you always act this way when you're anxious?" I nodded whiled considering whether or not to add something.

Ichigo turned back towards the road and gave a slight nod dismissively. He still looked worried but didn't say anything, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.

When we reached Renji's parking lot Ichigo killed the engine and turned to me again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" His expression killed me. I made him worry over nothing and though I was still agitated, I smiled up at him.

"I'm fine, sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out, I just...get pretty paranoid sometimes..." I was sure he wouldn't buy it since it was only partially true. I mean, I was still nervous, but Ichigo grinned back, happy for normal Rukia and opened his door. I helped Hana out of the truck and Ichigo led us to the door. He didn't bother knocking or ringing the doorbell, he walked right in and practically dragged me in after him.

Mina was the first person we saw and she lit up while greeting us. "Hello! How are you Rukia? It's been so long."

"I'm fine, thank you." Begining to feel that twisted knot in my stomach, I lacked anything better to say. I felt Ichigo lightly pat my shoulder, noticing my nervousness reappear. Mina didn't seem to realize and led us to the back yard where Renji and Hisagi were "slaving over the grill." I looked around and saw Michiru sitting at a large patio table while five small children ran around the yard playing tag. One of the older little girls ran up to me and Ichigo. Her face resembled Renji's and her long red hair took the same shape as Mina's.

"Uncle Ichigo!" She stretched her arms out towards him and he picked her up while greeting her.

"Hey Rina, how's it going?" Ichigo pushed some of her incredibly long hair behind her shoulder. She smiled happily and grabbed onto his t-shirt.

"Good! Hey, aren't you going to introduce your girlfriend." Ichigo laughed and pulled her closer.

"You've already met Rukia."

"Introduce me." Ichigo let out a quiet sigh.

"Rukia, this is Rina. Rina, this is Rukia. There, happy?" She nodded and held her arms out to me. My eyes widened and for a moment I didn't respond. I'd never held any other child besides my own. Children weren't real Rukia fans. Ichigo noticed and stretched her out towards me.

"Take her Rukia." Reluctantly, I grabbed the girl carefully, surprised by how heavy she felt. I awkardly held onto her even though her weight strained my arms and once she realized how uncomfortable my "technique" was, she wiggled out of my grip back onto the floor. Ichigo watched me curiously, his eyebrows knitted together.

"What was that about Rukia? Are you okay?" His voice held concern, as did his eyes.

"It's just...I've only ever held Hanajima..." Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you serious?" When I nodded, I noticed him push the subject away for another time. After leading me and Hana over to the table, he asked if I minded if he went over to talk with Hisagi and Renji.

"It's fine, go ahead."

"Are you possitive?"

"Yes Ichigo, go." He nodded, hesitated and then left. I sat down and pulled Hanajima into the chair next to me. Mina asked if Hana wanted to play with the other kids but she shook her head. I encouraged her to go play and after a few moments of delay she walked over to one of the smaller children who led her to the swing set. I smiled, shocked at how welcoming the kids were. Michiru noticed and gave me a warm smile. She and Mina began a conversation and before I knew it dinner was done. All the children came to the patio table while their mothers fixed their food and Hisagi and Ichigo started putting food on my plate along with Mina and Michiru's. The food was good and to my surprise, Hanajima ate without much hesitation. She was usually extremely picky about what she consumed. The afternoon went smoothly, we talked and Ichigo's friends asked me a lot of questions. They were friendly and I had a lot of fun, though I was still nervous that they didn't approve of me.

They entered an amusing conversation about how Hisagi and Michiru met when Mina asked Ichigo "So, Ichigo, are you going to marry this girl?" She smiled and both mine and Ichigo's eyes widened and he coughed up the drink he had just sipped out of his glass. Caught off guard he just stared at her with a hint of anger. "Well?"

"I...I don't..." Ichigo glanced at me and quickly turned back to Mina. "I don't know." Honestly his response took me off guard. It's not like I expected a proposal or even knew if thats what I wanted, but the angry expression he gave Mina sort of hurt. Though I felt my cheecks warm up, I attempted to hide my feelings and stay out of the conversation. Unfortunately, I wasn't that lucky. Hisagi turned it on me.

"Do you want to get married to Ichigo? No one would blame you if you said no." He smiled at me jokingly. I was trying to think of something to say when Ichigo suddenly interupted.

"Can we please stop talking about this?" His voice was harsh and everyone knew he was serious. No one said a word for at least a minute or two. The amusement in everyones faces was gone and we all sat still. There was a lot of tension at the table and I was glad Hana was off playing. Finally Mina spoke breaking some of the tension.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause a problem." She spoke as if she were talking to both of us but she held Ichigo's gaze as the words came out of her mouth. Ichigo's expression was still hard and his eyebrow twitched slightly.

"Whatever," was all he said and before I realized what I was doing I nudged him with my elbow.

"Ichigo, don't be rude..." My voice grew quieter with every word. I didn't mean to chastise him, especially not in front of everyone. All eyes around the table were on Ichigo and myself. Everyone was smiling at my comment and Renji chipped in saying, "She's right, Ichigo." Then Renji mockingly nudged him in the ribs with his elbow.

Ichigo angrily shoved Renji's arm away and stood, pushing his chair away from the table. Everyone looked up at him surprisingly and I instinctively reached for his hand. He pulled away from me and stomped away agressively. I fought the anger that naturally rose up in me and put Ichigo's feelings first. I stood and was about to go after him when Michiru lightly grabbed my wrist.

"Don't. Let him get it out or he might say something he regrets. Let him cool off." Her expression was serious and concerned. Despite the nervous feeling in my stomach, I listened and sat back down. After a few minutes Renji and Hisagi got up, each grabbing a beer and Renji grabbing a second one for Ichigo I presumed. They stalked off towards the house, the direction Ichigo had stomped off to. Mina turned her attention towards me and slightly frowned.

"I'm sorry, Rukia. I didn't mean to make him so angry. I shouldn't have brought up such a sensitive topic for him." Her hand slid across the table and patted my own carefully. "I hope I didn't cause any problems for the two of you." Her words shocked me. I didn't realize what this could do to my relationship with Ichigo. Was he netorious for running out when it got difficult? When it got serious? These were his closest friends, they were concerned. Did that mean I should worry? What if they pushed him to his limits and ruined our relationship. I didn't want to blame Mina but what if it was her fault?

I pushed that natural anger away again and remained calm, my facial expression neutral. I was jumping to conclusions. One statement couldn't cause him to break up with me, right? I felt my eyebrows knit together and that worry slowly spread over my face. Michiru layed her hand on my shoulder comfortingly.

"Really, don't worry. Ichigo's going to calm down. He keeps things bottled up so when he gets upset, he just sort of blows up. I mean, surely you noticed that. Please, don't worry. He'll be fine." Before I got the chance to respond, Ichigo and the other two walked back to the table. A scowl was still on Ichigo's face and his fists were clenched tightly, arms laying at his sides. He sat down and muttered a quiet apology. For the rest of dinner he picked at his food and gradually calmed down. He didn't really respond to anyone but his glare left and he later apologized more geniunally.

Once everyone was finished eating I assisted Mina and Michiru clear the table. As I grabbed Ichigo's plate, I leaned over closer to him and asked him if he was alright. He simply nodded. Frustrated, I turned and started toward the house before I felt Ichigo grab my arm carefully, aware of the dishes in my hands. He stood and stepped closer to me.

"I'm really sorry, Rukia." He frowned down at me and I felt some of my earlier frustration slip away from me. "I overreacted and I'm really sorry." I pulled away from him and gave him a small smile.

"It's fine." Before he could answer, I walked into the kitchen and began scraping leftover food off our plates. I moved over to the sink and began helping with washing the dishes and tried to push the thoughts of Ichigo's freak out out of my mind, hoping the rest of the night would go more smoothly.

_Ichigo's POV_

After I calmed down, I realized how rediculous I had been. I still didn't appreciate Mina's comment and didn't plan on another marriage discussion for a long while, but I felt like I'd hurt Rukia's feelings. I wouldn't blame her for taking offense. I acted as though marrying her repulsed me but to tell the truth, I'm just too insecure to even contemplate marriage. Rukia and I had a great relationship and for the first time in my life I'd fallen in love. I didn't want to move too quickly and ruin this. _Thats _why I freaked out, besides the part of myself who's affraid of that type of commitment. I tried not to think of it and attempted to have some fun before we had to leave and possibly talk more about my total spazz out.

Once the girls went inside to clean up the kids ran up to us and begged us all to play a game of tag with them. Renji and Hisagi sighed obviously sick of the game their kids adored so as slight payback I immediantly agreed. The kids squeeled happily and proclaimed that Hisagi would be the first to be "it." Once the game started I noticed Hanajima lag along. Concerned I walked up and asked if she was alright. She simply shook her head and slightly cocked her eyebrow, looking exactly like her mother. I asked if she liked tag and her only response was to shrug. My chest clenched once I realized what was wrong. Hana had never played before. Rukia mentioned that she'd only ever played with Rukia and had practically no experience with other children. This sweet little girl had never played tag before, it bothered me more than I thought it would. I forced myself to push those feelings away and I plastered a smile on. I knelt down next to her and explained the rules of the game. She seemed to understand and soon joined in on the game. I couldn't help but smile as she ran away from an approaching Hisagi.

The game continued until Hisagi was about to pass out, he was dubbed the official tagger and apparently a pact was made against him. Everytime a child was tagged they immediantly tagged Hisagi or tagged another child who was fast enough to keep up with him. After about a half an hour, we called it quits and headed inside. The children ran for the kitchen yelling something about dessert when I felt small hands tug on my pant leg. I looked down to see Hanajima standing between Renji and myself. Hisagi was walking behind us breathing heavily. I absently picked Hana up and asked if she had fun. She nodded her head enthusiastically and layed her head on my shoulder tiredly. Her tiny arms wrapped around my neck and she relaxed. I was surprised to hear her speak especially with two others there. Her voice was so bold and out spoken for Hana.

"I love you, Daddy." Though a little slurred together, it was clear and as she spoke those words I froze midstep. Renji and Hisagi both stopped and looked at Hanajima as if they weren't sure they heard her right. She had drifted to sleep and didn't notice my reaction. My eyes were wide-set and my mind started spinning. _Did she...just call me...Daddy?_

I was positve that my friends would comment on her statement just as they had about the marriage conversation but they just stood there for several moments in silence. Finally Renji spoke.

"Did she just call you Daddy?" I heard the slightest hint of amusement in his voice but I didn't react to his question. I just stood there hearing her small, bold voice over and over again. Hisagi was about to say something when Rukia stepped out of the kitchens sliding glass doors onto the deck. She noticed the akward situation and hesitated before speaking.

"Are you guys alright?" She furrowed her brow and she took a step closer to us. I was finally able to find my voice and nodded while answering.

"Yeah...we're fine. Uh, did you need me?" My voice started quietly but eventually rose to it's average volume. Rukia relaxed as soon as she detected myself relaxing, taking comfort in the renewed calmness from before Mina's marriage comment. She smiled up at me and Hana before stepping even closer to us.

"I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind heading home. Hanajima should be in bed soon.

"Oh, uh, yeah sure. We can go."

"Are you sure?" I nodded and gave her a confident smile that I knew would ease her doubt. She grinned back and in a few minutes we were saying our goodbyes. After a long private apology from Mina and difficult convincing that it was okay, though it was **not** okay, we were in the truck, heading towards Rukia's house. The car ride was silent and I could feel the discomfort radiating off of Ruk. After about ten minutes of the suffocating silence she finally asked me if i was okay.

"Are you still mad?" She frowned slightly at me, turning her body carefully towards me making sure she didn't stir Hanajima. My grip tightened on the stirring wheel uncomfortably but she didn't seem to mind.

"No, I'm fine. I guess I'm just tired, those kids really wore me out." I smiled at the thought of the children running around and how they had accepted Hana, acting as though she were another sibling. I glanced over at Rukia and saw her smile back at me.

"You're so great with kids. I just thought it was Hanajima who liked you but it's all kids." Her smile widened and all the memories came flooding back to me. The anger that coursed through me at the mention of marriage and the shock of Hana's words. Rukia kept up a steady and comfortable conversation but my mind was off elsewhere. The whole way there I kept telling myself that I'd gotten in too deep with Rukia. I'd fallen in love yes, but I'd opened myself up and put myself in a vulnerable position. I felt doubt start to cloud my mind and as much as I hated myself for it, I started justifying my thoughts. I almost convinced myself to break up with her as soon as I dropped her off but then decided she deserved an explanation. I didn't want to leave Rukia but I didn't want to be stuck in this vulnerable spot.

As I carried Hanajima to her bed, her words rang in my head.

_"I love you, Daddy."_

I shook my head letting the memory spill out of my mind. _What have I gotten myself into?_

Finally, here it is! :D Please review! :) I hope you all enjoyed!


	12. Chapter 12

Alright! :D I'm back and due to some inspiring Ichiruki fluff I've just read, I'm ready to write! :3 Haha. Well here it goes! I'm sort of in a rut though so hang in there if this chapter isn't as interesting as the last! Or long. Anyhoo, her it tis! 3

_Rukia's POV_

It was a few days after Renji's cook out that I'd convinced myself that something was up. Ichigo was acting strange after it and I began stressing out about Mina's comment.

_"So, Ichigo, are you going to marry this girl?"_

His face had been so angry and his reaction didn't make the now constant knot in my stomach feel any better. I was so scared when he started coming over less frequently and I almost screamed at him when he regarded Hanajima like an awkward nuisance. He didn't hold her or play with her, always telling her that he was tired or busy. I didn't want to nag him and get him mad at me again but this was ridiculous. He couldn't change the way he acted towards her. She's a child, she didn't understand why he was doing that but she realized the change as quick as I had.

Another thing that bothered me was how quiet he stayed all the time. Ichigo was never one to talk about his feelings or his past but on the rare occasions that he was over at my house, it was like he wasn't there. He didn't speak unless I spoke to him and when I asked if he was okay he always said he was fine, getting more irritated each time the question escaped my lips. So I'd learn to hold in my concern until he'd worked this thing out himself. It was hard to believe that he'd changed his entire attitude in merely three days.

This whole situation caused thousands of unanswered questions whirling around in my head. I honestly didn't know a lot about Ichigo, mostly because he wouldn't share. He refused to talk about his family even after I'd informed him of my own. I'd told him more than I'd told anyone else. How my siblings were so ashamed of my irresponsible actions that they'd banned me from our home and took away all of the money they'd placed in an account for my college. How I was forced to get a job while pregnant and stayed in a crummy apartment until they kicked me out for not paying rent. About how I had contemplated the idea of an abortion as an attempt to get my life back in order and how I couldn't go through with it. I told Ichigo everything I thought I'd never tell anyone, thinking I'd die with my secrets still hidden beneath all the denial. Still, Ichigo refused to tell me one personal thing about himself. He'd share his likes and dislikes, sure, but nothing about his life before the fire consuming his entire family or how he felt about it.

This small amount of information began to captivate my thoughts. I was in love with this man that I really didn't know at all. Of course, that didn't mean I didn't really love him but how could I get so serious with Ichigo if he didn't open up to me? He's a great listener and I've always appreciated that from him but not once did he ever share anything with me that had meaning, that caused him to really open up. That bothered me and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I wondered if I should try again and not back down as soon as he got angry. Would that trigger an argument neither of us wanted to have? Would it push Ichigo over the edge until he ended our relationship, confirming my thoughts of his sudden change. These never ending questions plagued me from the time we stepped out of Mina and Renji's house.

Ichigo's truck suddenly appeared outside the restaurant I'd been working in, pulling me out of my thoughts for an instant. He got out and walked to the door, hesitating but eventually opening the glass door and taking a few steps inside. The place was empty and it was silent in the building aside from the door's bell that Ichigo had just triggered. He stood there watching me with a blank face and for a minute I thought he knew exactly what I'd been thinking. We stood there watching each other for another brief moment until Ichigo shifted his gaze toward the back door.

"Uh, are you going to go get Hana or should I?" His expression was still blank and he looked extremely tired. I was worried about us, sure, but I was more worried about his health. Every time I saw him, his eyes grew a little more red and appeared more sunken in than the last time we'd been together.

I stepped back, my eyes still locked on his, and finally shook my head. "I've got a little more cleaning to do, if you don't mind grabbing her. Uh, I'm going to be a few minutes if you wanted to wait in the truck." I walked towards the back room and could sense him following me, going after Hanajima who was asleep on a cot the owner was nice enough to set up for her. I detoured to the kitchen and quickly finished my work before grabbing my bag. I turned off all the lights as I walked through the last of the rooms and said goodbye to the owner before walking back out towards the door.

I was surprised to see Ichigo still sitting there, a sleeping Hanajima held up to his shoulder. His expression wasn't as empty as before and he looked a little concerned about me. I must have shown some of my stress, knowing me it was written all over my face. Ichigo stood and held Hana up with one of his arms. He reached out and grabbed my hand, surprising me again. We walked to the truck in silence and I took a moment to relax in the familiar comforting way we held hands. Ichigo even helped me in his truck, which he hadn't done since our second date. As much as I wanted the comfortable moment to last, I knew I had to ask him what was going on. We had to communicate or our relationship might end. After a minute of driving I turned toward him and let the concern and fatigue show on my face, saving the effort I would normally use to hide them to build up the strength for a potential fight.

"Ichigo, what's going on? Why are you looking at me like I'm about to break?" He glanced over at me, looking more tired than before.

"Because you look like you're about to break. I was going to ask you what's wrong."

"What do you mean?" My brow creased and I felt a little confusions spill over my expression.

"You look so tired. I'm worried about you, you've been acting so stressed out lately." He reached over and grabbed me hand again only to feel me pull away instinctively.

"_I've _been acting stressed? What about you Ichigo? Why are you acting so different? Ever since-" Ichigo cut me off, realizing my anger.

"Ruk, calm down. Are you going to answer my question? What's stressing you out so much?" He thought he was so smooth, turning the interrogation back on me.

"You! I've been worrying about you!" As much as I didn't want to admit that his tactics to turn the conversation around worked, they did, temporarily.

"Sh!" His eyes glanced down at Hanajima. "Look, let's just wait until we get home, okay?" His face was calm but I could tell it was another way of stalling the inevitable. The rest of the car ride was silent and my anger continued to build rather than drift away. Ichigo noticed and I could see the wheels turning in his head, trying to avoid a more intense argument than he expected. When we got to my house he said the most ridiculous thing ever.

"I've got to go to work early tomorrow morning, Rukia." He was leaning against the front door as if he were about to head out. "Maybe we can talk about this tomorrow after work, okay?" My eyes widened in anger and I had to restrain myself from lunging at him.

"Are you crazy? No way are you leaving! We're going to talk about this now!" I tried to remain quiet enough to not wake Hana but loud enough to get my point across. I noticed Ichigo's expression grow a little dark.

"Look, I really can't stay. I've got work tomorrow, I'm sure we can talk then. Why don't you go to bed and get some sleep?" He noticed my agressive stance and looked ready to restain me himself if I tried anything.

"No."

"What?"

"Stay and talk about it now or leave and don't come back." His eyes widened at my answer and he remained silent for a moment. He finally spoke, the shock registered in his voice.

"W-why? What's wrong?" I could hear a sad tone in his voice but it was almost completely drowned out by surprise. "What did I do?" That last statement was filled with childlike disappointment and almost killed my resolve. Luckily I was able to keep the anger in my tone.

"Ichigo, ever since that party this week-end you've been acting weird. I know it's because of what Mina said. I want you to talk about it. Tell me how you felt about it, Ichigo. I want to know becasue if you're going to break up with me as soon as it gets serious, I want to know."

"What! You're the one threatening to break up with me if I don't stay." Another defensive move, stalling this conversation even if it only sparred him seconds.

"Look, Michiru told me about your other girlfriends, how you always found a reason to end it with them as soon as it got serious. If you're doing that with me, I want to know." Both Mina and Michiru had told me multiple stories of his ex girlfriends and how after they got ready to move forward, he'd pull away, like he was doing now, and brake up with them. Both reassured me that it wouldn't happen to us because he loved me but now I wasn't so sure. Ichigo's voice brought me back to our argument.

"Don't listen to them! They have no idea what happened between me and those women, Rukia. I didn't love them, why would I get serious with them if I didn't love them?" There was still irritation in his words but his voice took on a pleading sort of tone.

"If that's the case, why are you detaching yourself from me?" My voice was no longer as bold. "You've been so quiet and you're treating Hana differently, I don't appreciate that Ichigo." I saw something quickly flash over his face. Was he surprised I'd brought that up? "Look, it's not just that. You've always been pretty distant, not like this, but it's still the same. You don't tell me anything Ichigo. I know nothing about you or you're past."

"You know plenty about my past."

"Not about anything dating back further than five years. I don't know about your family." I saw him flinch and my chest clinched at the thought of opening sensitive wounds, but I continued. "I don't know anything important about you. I want to know how you were raised...I want to know about your childhood, Ichigo. I...I just want you to open up, to trust me." For a moment I thought he'd understood the meaning of my out brake but that feeling didn't last long.

"I don't see how any of that has to do with us." His voice was cold and I felt my eyes tear up. This was how it was going to end. "That's the past, you weren't a part of my life then and it shouldn't matter to you now. I already told you, I don't want to talk about it." Every word seemed to become icier and I cringed away from him. He noticed but continued. "If you're hung up on my past, then maybe...maybe we should break up." As soon as the words left his mouth, I felt a desperate sigh escape mine. I knew I had to look exhausted and for a moment I thought my knees would give out.

Ichigo rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Look, I love you Rukia. I really do." He paused letting the words sink in. He'd never directly told me that before and I was sort of upset that the first time he spoke those words were in an argument, especially one that could lead to the end of our relationship. I felt a tear escape my eye and slide down my face before being followed by a few more, realizing that I was on the verge of sobbing. Instead of giving in I used every ounce of strength I had to stop at that, not letting any more tears to be shed. It was particularly had when Ichigo reached over and wiped the tears away, taking a step closer to me.

"I love you too." I spoke quietly, all of my angry resolve gone now, though some of the frustration still lingered inside of me, threatening to spill out at any given moment.

"If I don't tell you about my past, are you going to break up with me?" For a minute I thought he was weighing his options but when I glanced up at him I saw an expression determined to remain silence.

"I just want you to trust me, to tell me _something_. Please." Ichigo stepped back and rubbed his eyes again, frustration was written all over his face.

"Like what?" His tone now held frustration as well.

"Can't you tell me about your childhood? Like how you were as a child, what was your relationship like with your sisters?" My face held concern that I thought he'd use as a crutch, an aid to help him tell me anything. After a silence that felt too long, he shook his head. I could see him remembering his family and the deeply hurt look on his face.

"No, I'm sorry but I can't. If you really care about me and our relationship, you'll get over this." His words came out quickly like he didn't really think them through and they'd left me utterly shocked.

"What? This is really important to me Ichigo! You can't tell me a single thing about yourself and it's holding you back from moving forward. Even if I did let this go, we'd never be able to make it. You're holding this whole relationship back." I took a deep breath to steady myself, not ready for the words about to spill out of my mouth. "If you won't tell me anything, then you should just leave." I felt myself let go as I spoke and the tears began pouring down from my eyes, making my vision blurry. I used the back of my hands to wipe the majority of the tears away. I heard Ichigo let out a sigh, this time desperately and almost pleading with me.

"Rukia..."

"I mean it." I looked up and held his gaze. I saw his own eyes full of fatigue and sadness and realized that they were brimming over with his own tears. I'd never seen him this vulnerable and I almost gave it, thinking that seeing him cry would be enough but I quickly realized it wasn't. The next word caused me to lose control.

"Fine." He stepped closer to the door, still watching me. I finally gave into my weakness and fell to my knees. I began sobbing loudly and covered my face with my hands. I was sure he'd leave right away leaving me alone but to my surprised I heard him "sh" me a few times. He didn't approach me but he did speak again before heading out.

"Rukia." He got my attention and I glanced up at him to see that he was crying now, letting his own tears spill down his face. "I'm sorry, I really am." He took in a ragged breath and gained a small amount of composure. "I love you, Rukia." His words were so full of meaning and love that I nearly begged him to stay with me but I knew that was ridiculous and couldn't help but feel the slightest bit happy when he left without giving me the chance.

I don't know for sure how long I'd stayed there sobbing on the floor but luckily I didn't wake Hanajima. I was finally able to crawl into bed with some great effort. My muscles were soar and my body felt weak like I hadn't eaten in days. The whole time I continued to cry and after about another hour of laying there awake, I cried myself to sleep. I felt awful. I felt weak and heart broken. I felt alone.

Okay so this turned out better than I thought it would! :) I'm really excited about it. Hope you enjoyed! :D


	13. Chapter 13

Okay back again! :) Super excited by all the reviews that came in over night so I hope to please everyone with this chapter like I did with chapter 12! :3 Alright so here it goes.

_Rukia's POV_

The morning after our argument, Ichigo surprised me by stopping by. I was laying in bed, not ready to get up and face the day, when I heard him knock on the door. I honestly didn't know who to expect and when I opened the front door to see Ichigo, my eyes widened and I slightly cringed back from the utter shock. _Why would he just show up?_My mind began reeling with questions when Ichigo opened his mouth to speak, his voice steady.

"I brought Hanajima's gift over. I know her birthday isn't for a few days but since I won't be coming over anymore, I thought I'd drop it over while I had the time." He handed me a gift bag casually. The tone in his voice shocked me even more. He sounded...fine. _Did he already accept it?_ I didn't respond and just continued starring at him in utter awe. I felt my eyes grow misty and fought the urge to cry again.

"Are...are you okay?" His eyes shifted and gained a concerned look that poured out some of his true feelings. He astounded me even more when he reached out and tried to grab my hand. Registering what he was attempting to do, I quickly pulled away.

"Ichigo...don't." I knew if I gave into his sweet actions now, we'd talk, he'd continue to keep his past bottled up and we'd go no where. I couldn't imagine having another fight like last nights. "If you feel the same way you did last night, you might as well leave." I found my voice and wasn't about to give in.

I saw disappointment in his eyes at my words but he nodded after a moment of silence and spoke. That tone was back, the one he forced into his words to make me think he was unaffected by last nights fight. Part of me thought that he might be fine but after his concern and attempt to grab my hand, I knew he was still upset.

"Alright, well, I guess I'll be going." He opened the door and took a step back. His gaze held mine and I knew he was trying to accept our break up as soon as possible. His eyes softened and after a moment he said goodbye, slipping out the door as Hanajima walked down the hall. Her expression was confused and it was obvious she had just heard the door close. I dreaded trying to explain this to her. She walked up to me and held her arms up until I picked her up with some effort. My muscles were still sore from last night and all the stress I had for the last few days. She looked up at me and her brow creased before she spoke.

"Where Daddy?" For a moment I stood there confused but it didn't take long for me to realized who she was talking about. My eyes widened at her statement and she noticed the change in my face. All I could do was shake my head until she asked the same question for a second time.

"Hana...he's gone..." I felt myself give in to my emotions again now that Ichigo was gone and I began crying, laying my head on my daughter's shoulder. I felt her head rest on mine and her small arms comfortingly hugged onto my neck. I continued to cry, pushing some of the sadness of our loss away. I knew there would be a long recovering process and hoped with the help of God and my beautiful daughter I'd be able to get through it soon. I had to say goodbye once and for all to Ichigo Kurosaki.

_Ichigo's POV_

The week after our break up was the worst week of my life. I tried to go back to my old schedule of working and going home, alone. I didn't want to think of it that way, alone, but I had no choice. I went home without Rukia and Hanajima and I never went anywhere now that we had ended our relationship. My home once filled with Rukia's laughter and Hana's quiet voice was empty and silent. It hurt me more than I thought it would. I knew I loved Rukia but I'd never thought someone so small could cause me so much pain. I missed her so much.

As soon as Mina and Michiru found out they began calling me everyday to "check up on me." I told them I was fine but they refused to believe me. Michiru told me that everything would be okay and did her best to make me feel better but Mina was more blunt with me. She was always telling me that I should've just told her. She was still kind but it was obvious that she took Rukia's side and she knew each time she brought it up I'd get on edge and end our conversation. As much as I hated those calls, I began looking forward to Michiru's hoping the effects would cancel out Mina's.

On saturday, a week after Renji's pary and four days after Rukia broke up with me, I was cleaning up the livingroom, trying to distract myself and releave a little boredom. As I was folding a blanket to lay over the couch when I heard the phone ring. Sighing, I walked over to the phone and wasn't surprised to hear Mina's voice on the other end.

"Hello?" I answered lazily.

"Ichigo? Hi! How are you?" Her voice held a mixture of eagerness and concern.

"Mina, I'm fine, just like I was yesterday." I held back another sigh and tried to convince Mina that I was telling the truth, even though I wasn't.

"Ichigo I'm just worried about you. We haven't seen you in a while and..."Her voice softened and I could sense my curiosity pique.

"What?"

"I just...I feel responsible for you and Rukia breaking up." I heard the guilt in her voice and I felt guilty for acting so impatient as soon as I picked up the phone. "I just want you to be happy and I didn't know my comment would effect you two so much. I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't you Mina, don't blame yourself." I guess that was a lie too. The night of my fight with Rukia I found myself blaming Mina for opening her mouth in the first place. I instantly put the blame on her but once I rationally thought about it I realized it had nothing to do with her. Rukia was determined to learn about my past and without that, she wasn't willing to move forward. Whether Mina brought up marriage or not, this would have happened sooner or later.

"It was my fault." She sighed angrily and frustrated. I continued to deny her words and was finally able to push that conversation away.

"Is this the only reason you called? To tell me I should blame you?"

"No, I was actually calling to see if you'd come over to Hisagi's tomorrow. We all miss you." She continued to talk as I thought about going over there. Surely it'd give me something to do but I really didn't feel like another one of their cook outs. I couldn't imagine going there only to be bombarded with questions.

"I don't know, Mina." Answering her, I think I interupted something else she was saying.

"Why not? You said you were fine, right? Look we miss you, just come. We wont talk about it, I promise, not unless you want to."

"I definitely don't want to." After a minute of being convinced that I'd "have fun" I decided to go and quickly got off the phone with Mina. I finished cleaning up and still had too much time on my hands. Deciding to relax, I picked up a book and began reading only to find that it was a copy of Hamlet that Rukia bought me. I sat the novel on the coffee table and flopped down on the couch. Resting my elbows on my knees, I sat there feeling more alone than before my phone call with Mina. I covered my face with my hands and fought to keep my composure. _God, I miss you Rukia._

The next day I willed myself out of bed and practically forced myself to go to Michiru's like I promised Mina I would. Once there I was able to relax a bit and was surprised to see everyone acting as if nothing happened. No one brought up Rukia or asked about our situation. I was glad for the privacy and the understanding they gave me. The night went smoothly and I actually had a decent time. I went through most of the night without any problem and was caught off guard when Michiru and Mina asked their husbands to give us some privacy. Renji and Hisagi just nodded, obviously understanding, and left to take some of our dishes to the kitchen. I immediately put up a defense and couldn't help the natural scowl from appearing on my face.

"What's this about?" I was weary of their meaning. Michiru glanced at Mina and then turned her gaze back to me.

"We just wanted to tell you something."

"About Rukia." I stated this, positive that's what they were getting at.

"Yes but-" Standing, I didn't give them the chance to continue. "Ichigo, wait! Just listen to what we have to say. Please." I heard a desperate tone and I had to turn back. Not bothering to hide my frustration, I sighed loudly.

"What?"

"We've been thinking about what happened between you and Rukia. We know you love her and we can't help but feel responsible for what happened." Michiru took a deep breath and continued. "We think you should tell Rukia." At first I wasn't sure what she meant but soon understood.

"What? Why? It's none of her business!" Before I could get more out, Mina through up her hands defensively.

"Look, you need to talk about it, period. Who better to talk with?" Her eyes were pleading with me and I could tell they'd both worried too much over me.

"I don't need to talk about it at all. I'm fine and if you two think otherwise you can keep your opinions to yourself." I couldn't keep the rude edge out of my tone no matter how much I tried.

"You're pushing us away, Ichigo, just like you do everyone else. Just like you did Rukia." Michiru spoke loudly and she let her anger get the best of her, something she rarely did. "Is it worth losing her? All you have to do is talk to her, it's that easy."

I felt my expression grow colder and clenched my teeth together. "Nothing about this is _easy_, Michiru. Just shut up and forget about it! I'm not talking about it." Frustrated, I wound my hands in tight fists. "I'm leaving." Before they could stop me I was heading toward the door and right before I reached for the front door's handle I heard their footsteps following me.

"Please Ichigo, just think about it. Please." Mina's voice sounded so desperate but I ignored her words and continued out the door. I left, speeding down the drive and turned onto the street in the direction of my house. I angrily sped away and tried my best to push that conversation out of my mind.

Later that night while I was in bed I got a phone call. I looked at the clock to see that it was nearly three in the morning and wondered who could be calling at this hour. Curiosity got the best of me and I picked up after two rings. As I heard Michiru answer on the other end, my first instinct was to get angry and I felt my brow furrow but after I realized she was crying I began to worry.

"Michiru? What's wrong? Are you okay?" My voice was frantic and I had no idea what she was calling about. She continued to cry and after a minute of calming her down she was able to speak.

"Ichigo...it's Mina..." Michiru took in a ragged breath and spilled out the last few words. "She's dead."

So there it is! :) hope you enjoyed!


	14. Chapter 14

I'm back! :D I know I left you all with a cliffhanger but everything will be cleared up soon! :) So here it is! Chapter 14!

_Ichigo's POV_

"Wh-what?" Caught off guard, my voice sounded like a childs. I heard Michiru choke on another sob.

"She's dead, Ichigo. Mina's dead." She lost all control and began bawling over the phone. I sat frozen, wondering if this was a bad dream, and didn't attempt to sooth her. I heard a few alleviating words on the other line, figuring it was Hisagi. After a minute of her constant sobbing Hisagi took the phone and I heard him take a deep breathe.

"Ichigo?" His voice was shaky and it sounded like he would start crying along with his wife. I didn't answer really, I let out a grunt to let him know I was still there and then he began explaining. "Sh-she was in an accident, a car accident. She gave you a few hours to calm down and then...then she said she was going to go check on you. She was gone for another hour and we didn't think about it so I gave Renji and the kids a ride home. The police just called us ten minutes ago. She swerved off the road and hit a tree..." I heard him choke on the words and felt myself lose control. I began sobbing aloud but stayed on the phone the whole time. Hisagi continued to try to sooth both Michiru and myself while keeping his cool for our sakes.

After about ten minutes, I was calm enough to get off the phone and get out of bed. I looked at the clock and saw that it was three-thirty. My mind instantly shifted to Rukia and I had the urge to go to her but pushed it away with a lot of willpower. I decided to go to Renji's. Hisagi had informed me that he was back at home while the police took care of the accident and thought he'd need some company. I pulled my shoes on and headed out to my truck. I rode to Renji's in a daze with thoughts of Mina and Rukia swirling around in my head. The whole way there I couldn't stop the tears from spilling out of my eyes and had to focus on the road more than I normally did. Once I got there I saw that all the lights were still on and felt my chest tighten.

I got out of the car and quickly went inside, hoping to find Renji right away. As soon as I opened the front door, I searched the living room and was surprised to see him sprawled out on the couch, asleep. Not wanting to wake him, I slid my shoes off and went to the kids' rooms and found all of them in bed asleep. I figured they knew about their mother already but couldn't be sure. I knew this might be the last time Renji slept for a while so I decided to pick up the place hoping he'd appreciate the help. In an hour I had washed the dishes, started some laundry, and picked up everything off the floors. I was even able to clear out all of the trash cans and clean the bathroom. By the time I finished all that I felt ready for sleep but didn't really want to leave. I wasn't comfortable sleeping in Renji's bed, especially not with him on the couch, so I sat in a lounge chair next to the sofa and rested my head against the back of it. I felt my eyes slide shut and soon fell asleep.

The next few days was a huge blur. I spent most of my time over at Renji's and so did Michiru and Hisagi. They brought the kids over a few hours after I arrived Monday morning and we found ourselves staying. We slept in the living room, Hisagi and Michiru sleeping on the couch while I stayed on the floor. We all helped out and stood with Renji when it came to telling the kids. (It turns out that they didn't know anything about the accident the night it happened.) When it came to planning the funeral, Renji let Michiru take care of the whole thing, not burdening himself with that kind of thing.

After the accident Renji practically became mute. He hardly spoke and when he did it was so quietly you had to be right next to him to hear it. I felt so horrible for him and tried to push my own pain away. I knew what it was like to lose someone close to you and I used that experience to try and help Renji to the best of my ability. I helped with the kids a lot while Hisagi took care of the house. Michiru did the majority of the work, always taking care of Renji and supervising what her husband and I were up to while cooking for us all. She also cleaned up after the kids and took over when one started crying about their mother. I just didn't know what to say to them. I still haven't dealt with the death of my family, how could I possibly help them deal with it? Michiru understood and always took charge of those types of situations.

With everything going on the days began to fly by and the day of the memorial service snuck up on me. Michiru had planned for this to take place the day before the funeral even though most wakes were a few days prior to the burial. Instead of having the service at the funeral home, it took place at Renji's house. The body wasn't there of course so it _really _was more of a memorial to Mina, rather than a wake. Like everything else Michiru planned this and she surprisingly invited a lot of people. I thought Renji would be mad with everyone at his house but he stayed neutral the whole time and kept a strong face when people consoled their grief about the incident. I stayed with Renji and Hisagi most of the night while people circulated around the house chatting about Mina. Michiru continued to walk around and talk to everyone, making sure everyone was fine and catching up with a few of Mina's other close friends. Again she was doing the jobs that were technically Renji's jobs to do. No one seemed to mind though and they welcomed her smiling face. Every time she passed us she was reassuring someone that Mina was "in a better place" something she told Renji every night since the car wreck. She brought the bright side out of this tragedy and I could see how proud Hisagi was of his wife every time they glanced towards one another.

The whole night I focused on Renji's needs and stayed with him most of the time. It wasn't until the service was beginning to end when Michiru told me to walk around. She said I looked like I could use a break and told me to go to the kitchen and get something to drink. At first I protested and said I was fine but she forced me and before I knew it, I was pulling a glass out of the cupboard. After getting a glass of ice water I felt a little relaxed. The daze of people was a little much and all night I heard passerby crying about the loss of one of my best friends. Mina Abarai. I heard her name all night and the tightness in my chest only increased. I didn't realize how close to crying I was until I was alone in the kitchen. I sat my glass aside and ran a hand through my hair. I fought the urge to burst into tears and settled for letting a few stray from my eyes. As I wiped them away I heard footsteps close by and looked up to see someone enter the kitchen. Rukia.

She looked up at me with wide red eyes. It looked like she was just crying and part of me wanted to go to her and make sure she was alright. I pushed those thoughts away and decided that right now wasn't the best time to talk to her. Nodding, I decided that it was best if I didn't talk to her. I leaned back against the counter and looked down at my glass that I'd picked back up. I tried to give our encounter finality but apparently failed. Epically. She approached me and started apologizing for my loss.

"Ichigo...I'm so sorry. I know Mina's one of your close friends-"

"It's fine, don't worry about it." My voice was cold and I felt horrible for speaking to her that way but I knew it was best. If I wanted to get over her, I had to rip my life away from hers. She nodded at my comment and looked down. I casted a glance down toward her waist and noticed that Hanajima wasn't with her and wanted to ask about her but didn't.

"Um..." Rukia's eyes slid up to my face again and I saw her gain a little composure that wasn't there before. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here. I mean...we're still friends right?" I heard the uncertainty in her words but couldn't bring myself to respond. She ignored it and continued. "Anyway, if you need me, you know where to find me. Again, I'm really sorry." After a moment of hesitation she took a step back and turned to leave. That's when I noticed a large dark bruise on her arm and another near her temple. My eyes quickly scanned her profile and noticed a few scratches and a scrapped up elbow.

"Wait. What happened to you?" I felt my eyebrows furrow and I knew I couldn't hide the concern on my face. She turned back to me, slightly confused, before she realized what I was saying.

"Oh, these." She laughed dryly as she gestured to her arm. "I was riding my bike to work and I uh...well I ran into a tree." Her face took on this embarrassed smile and I couldn't help the amusement that swept over my face. I kept screaming at myself mentally to walk away and leave now but I couldn't help it and my curiosity got the best of me.

"How did you manage that?" I took another step closer to her and reached out before lightly grazing her big black bruise.

"It wasn't my fault." Her words were defensive but I could tell she found it as funny as I did. "I swear Hana was about to ride into a ditch and while I was telling _her_ to be careful..." She trailed off.

"You ran into a tree." I laughed for the first time in days and felt pain for losing Rukia start to spread through me. God, I missed her. I saw an expression flash on her face that told me she was feeling the same way. An awkward tension grew after that glance and she began fiddling with her shirt tail. I noticed what she was wearing for the first time and realized how out of place she looked. She either didn't know what a wake was or was really grieving for Mina. She was the only one in all black. Her black short sleeve shirt was simple and under that she wore black skinny jeans that were made of dressy material. While I was looking her over she took a step back and made an excuse to leave.

"Well, I should be going. I've gotta get home so Hana can get to bed at a decent time..." She looked like she wanted to stay despite her words so I continued our already overindulgent conversation.

"Uh, where is she anyway? I haven't seen her."

"Oh, Michiru took her a while ago but I think Hisagi has her now." A warm smile spread over her face. "They really grew on her. I really have Mina to thank for that though..." Her words trailed off again and I saw guilt and tears fill her eyes. She waved a hand in my direction. "I'm sorry." She took two more steps closer to the door and I realized she was leaving. Before I knew what I was doing I reached out and grabbed her arm. Surprising both of us I hugged onto her and held her close. It was a selfish act but an act I hadn't really thought through. After hesitating she hugged onto my waist and began crying loudly. Hearing her cry like that made the pain of everything that had happened recently intensify and it took every ounce of strength not to cry with her.

We stayed like that longer than I expected and when she stopped crying I felt her rub her eyes against my shirt. Still, she stayed there and after a few minutes I couldn't tell if she'd fallen asleep or not. Her eyes had given away how tired she was before and I wasn't sure if she was awake. Before I had the chance to check, she pulled away and rubbed her eyes with her fists. She looked more like Hana when she was tired because of all the childish actions she did like that. I was about to ask if she was alright when Hisagi came in holding Hanajima. Her shriek filled the room.

"Ichigo!" She reached her arms out to me and I glanced at Rukia for aprroval. She didn't respond to me but looked up at Hana and shook her head.

"We've got to go Hanajima." Rukia took her daughter from Hisagi, thanked him, mumbled one last goodbye, and left. The abrupt actions hurt me but also caused anger to rise in me. I had just held her, comforted her and she didn't say a word to me. I pushed that anger away, knowing it was illogical and turned my attention to Hisagi.

"You okay?" His voice was concerned and the expression his face held wasn't normal for him. I nodded and glanced away.

"Thanks." Gripping the glass in my hand, I felt that pissed feeling rise again and I carelessly sat my cup of water on the counter.

"Are you sure?" He layed his hand on my shoulder and I could see the worry in his eyes.

"I'm sure, sorry."

"It's fine. Look...I know you still care about her man and I know you don't want to talk about it but...you really should. If you ever change your mind, you can talk to me, any time." He was the fourth person to tell me that sort of thing in the last few days.

I thanked him and we began cleaning up from the memorial. Almost everyone was gone and Michiru was saying goodbye to everyone at the door so we began the cleaning process. While picking up all the trash and clearing out all the left over food, I started thinking about Hisagi's words and immediatly my mind connected them to my last conversation with Mina. Everyone was telling me that I needed to talk, I mean, that's all I had to do to keep Rukia. I didn't know why it was so hard but after everything that happened I knew I had to do something. I began weighing my options and thought about my next step in my relationship with Rukia, if you could call it that. _What am I going to do?_

Okay here it is!:) hope you enjoy!


	15. Chapter 15

Hello There I'm back with another chapter. well here it is!

_Rukia's POV_

The night of Mina's wake, I found myself lying in bed for hours thinking of Ichigo. I'd missed him. A lot. And tonight only made me miss him more. For only a moment it felt like we were still together, like that horrible argument never happened. He was there for me, again and I felt my chest tighten every minute I stayed with him so when I had the chance, I bolted for the door. I felt bad and when I glanced back at Ichigo, I saw the anger in his eyes but I couldn't let Hanajima believe that he was back with us. She's a child and I couldn't ask her to understand. Laying there for an hour, I just couldn't stop thinking about Ichigo and when I realized that I wasn't going to fall asleep, I got up and start my day three hours early.

The next day flew by as I waited and prepared myself for Mina's funeral. Michiru had invited me over the phone and I knew it meant another possible run-in with Ichigo. I immediately told her I would be there and got off the phone. The whole twenty-four between the wake and funeral I mentally prepared myself for anything.

The day of the funeral I woke early and hopped in the shower. In an hour I was cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast and picking out Hana's clothes. It didn't take long for us both to get dressed and once our hair was put up in respectable buns it was time for Michiru and Hisagi to pick us up. I felt horrible for having to bum a ride to a funeral, especially from the deceased's best friends. Michiru reassured me that it was fine and told me she'd be at my house by ten-thirty and as the digital clock in the living room flashed 10:28 I glanced out the window. What I saw caused me to freeze in place and I found myself holding my breath. The vehicle outside was all too familiar and in no time I recognized it as Ichigo's truck. Before I could will myself to move, I heard him knocking loudly on the door. Still I didn't move.

Hanajima grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door, impatiently and right as I reached out for the door handle the door slid open slightly.

"Hello?" Ichigo called out and instantly looked down to where I stood. At first all I did was stare up at him but after a minute I found my voice.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" At my side Hana was screaming and frantically stretching her arms towards him while we just stood staring at each other. He took a hesitant step closer to me and I instinctively stepped back, pulling Hanajima with me. Before he answer I saw disappointment and a hint of anger flash in his eyes.

"There was some type of emergency and Michiru had to go pick up something for the funeral. I hope it's okay..." His voice trailed off and I stayed silent. "She wanted me to tell you that she's sorry for the sudden mix-up." I finally reacted and nodded.

"Uh...yeah it's fine." I took a deep breath and thought this situation through. Did I really want to go with him? Did I want to expose Hana to him? Before I could decide I felt Ichigo lay his hand on my shoulder and gently nudge me towards the door. I shrank away from his hand and slightly shook my head. "I...uh..I don't think this is a good idea." Again I could easily see the disappointment in his eyes and I felt horrible for causing it.

"Rukia...it's just a ride." He sighed, frustrated. "I'm just offering you a ride. That's all." His eyes were on me and a hint of anger was reflecting in his gaze, as if he were challenging me to refuse his ride, like I had any other way to get there.

Without answering I took a step closer to the door and grabbed my jacket along with Hana's. Then without another look back, I was walking towards his truck in a painfully familiar fashion while dragging Hanajima along. Ichigo's loud footsteps warned me that he was following and I was shocked when he opened the car door for us, it was far too similar to normal. I decided that he was just being polite, being Ichigo.

The car ride there was silent and extremely uncomfortable. Even Hanajima sensed the tension and stayed quiet as well. I knew she was dying to talk to Ichigo, to the best of her ability that is, but she understood and I was so thankful for that. When we got to the church Hana and I slipped out of the truck. I thanked Ichigo for the ride and immediately started towards the buildings entrance. I planned to put as much distance between us as possible.

In the building there was a small corridor for signing in and as I looked around I found Michiru, Hisagi and Renji standing close together. I tightened my grip on Hanajima's hand and walked up to them with a friendly smile.

"Hey, how are you guys?" My tone was appropriate and Michiru gave me a welcoming hug.

"We're holding on, thank you." She bent down and kissed Hanajima's cheek. "Hello, Hana." She smiled warmly at my daughter and patted her head. She stood and took Hisagi's hand. "Well, we'll see you after the service. Maybe you'd like to come over for lunch?"

"I'll...I'll think about it, thank you." I picked up Hanajima and gave all three hugs. As I wrapped my arms around Renji, I saw Ichigo walk up in the corner of my eye. I knew with the way I was acting towards him, I wasn't making it easy for us to have any sort of friendship, so without another thought I gave Ichigo a quick hug as well. I gave them all a smile and made my way to a pew.

The service was beautiful and in the middle I found myself tearing up. I sat on the left side of the building and had a clear view of Renji and his kids. As soon as the speaker walked up to the podium, I noticed Renji bow his head in his hands and begin sobbing. He didn't stop through out the whole service and I felt my heart ache at the sight. He wasn't loud and didn't disturb anyone. I knew that I wasn't very close to Renji in particular but I had this sudden urge to go comfort him. Maybe it was my motherly instincts kicking in but part of me thought it was what God wanted me to do. I wasn't the most religious person out there but I knew when this sort of thing happened.

Without another thought I stood and made my way to his pew, dragging Hanajima with me. When I got to Renji, I squeezed in the seat next to him and nudged Hana towards Hisagi. She willingly pulled herself in his lap and I turned my attention back to Renji. I said a silent prayer and layed my hand comfortingly on his back. He sat his head up and glanced at me with tears running down his face. At first he just looked at me and I was nervous that I'd crossed a line but after a moment he wrapped his arms around me and laid his head on my shoulder. He continued to cry and pulled me closer. I was shocked and momentarily crushed against his body but pushed my discomfort away. I soothed him the best I could and stayed with him the rest of the funeral.

When the service was nearly over, the preacher asked Michiru and Ichigo to go up to the pulpit. I was a little confused but just figured it was a eulogy or something. To my surprise they both approached the piano and sat close on the small bench. They began playing a song together that Michiru introduced as one of Beethoven's sonata duets. The song went on for a good five minutes but the sound was beautiful. Ichigo told me once that he took lessons as a kid but I had no idea how good he was. They both had a lot of talent and the song was very...Mina. As Ichigo and Michiru stepped off the pulpit I caught Ichigo's eyes drift toward me and I gave him a friendly smile.

Once the funeral was over I found myself standing with the Renji. When he finally let me go he made sure I was no more than three feet away. I guess he found my friendly actions comforting and I was glad. I felt a lot closer to him and when he grabbed my hand when we all stood, I knew it was almost a brotherly act. Everyone else seemed to realize this too and all gave me encouraging grins when they notice, even Ichigo.

To be honest, I didn't feel comfortable spending my morning so close to Ichigo and felt even worse about spending lunch with him too. I just didn't have the strength for it but I knew that Renji wanted me there and I couldn't tell him no, so I found myself riding with Ichigo to Renji's house. He made a few comments and we almost had a friendly conversation. I felt a knot in my stomach start to form and it tensed with every mile closer we got to our destination. Unsure with our situation, I didn't know what to say and I didn't know what to do. I couldn't tell where our limits lay and it made me nervous to be so close to him.

Ichigo glanced at me and gave me a sad smile. It was like he knew what I was thinking and felt the same way. I smiled back weakly and turned to gaze out the window. I had to figure something out and quick. It was killing me to be apart from Ichigo while being so close. I wanted to be with him, not next to him. I had to find the strength to get over him, somehow, but...how?

alright well here's chapter 15! I only have like two chapters left and I'm pretty excited so keep watching for new chapters!


	16. Chapter 16

Back again! :) I'm excited for the last few chapters to come together! :D Anyways here's chapter 16!

_Ichigo's POV_

In the truck I could sense Rukia's discomfort radiating off of her as we drove to Renji's for lunch. I tried to make innocent conversation keeping the mood as light as possible and appropriate for leaving a funeral. I was still extremely upset over Mina's death but I knew if I showed Rukia that, she'd feel obligated to cross a line we unwillingly put up two weeks ago. In our case, I kept the conversation light and easy but she continued to distance herself from my words. She didn't do it in a cold way, it was more like she had something on her mind and I decided to shut up and respect her reserve.

When we arrived at Renji's house I noticed that Michiru and Hisagi were already there. Renji had driven himself and his kids. Renji. The thought of him gave me a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. I noticed right away how...close he was to Rukia at the funeral. I know he's mourning his wife's death and I know it wasn't anything more than Rukia offering him support and him accepting it but the image of _her_ hand in _his _kept coming to mind. It bothered me even though I knew it shouldn't. Rukia wasn't mine anymore and it's not like Renji was interested. He loved Mina so much, I had no reason to believe that he had any interest in _anyone_ let alone Rukia.

I pushed those selfish thoughts away and followed Rukia to the front door a few steps behind. When we arrived at the door I reached out and grabbed the door handle, opening the port for Rukia and Hanajima. I heard Ruk mumble a thanks, still not giving me the time of day, and walked in after them. Michiru welcomed us and asked if I'd help Hisagi set the table. Without another thought I stepped into the kitchen and helped with the table.

Lunch went by quickly, there wasn't a lot of talking but the food was good and everyone seemed...happy. Or happier, considering the consequences. I sat across from Rukia and on my right was Hanajima eating the food her mother put on her plate. Glancing up from my plate, I momentarily met eyes with Rukia and quickly slid my gaze to her left, Renji. My earlier thoughts began to float to the surface of my mind and I reminded myself that he wasn't interested, he still loved Mina.

After lunch Rukia helped Michiru clear the table and clean the dishes as the kids went in the back yard to play. I looked down at Hana and asked if she'd like to go outside and play with the other children. She blinked her large eyes and shook her head, giving me a look that made me feel like an idiot.

"Why not?" I felt my brow crease and I was concerned that something might be wrong. "Are you okay Hana?" As I spoke, I saw Rukia turn towards us in my peripheral vision. When I turned my attention back to Hanajima she just nodded and smiled up at me. I glanced over at Rukia who was still watching us and gave her a confused look, she returned the gesture and took a step closer to us. Hanajima got my attention by pulling herself on my lap suddenly and by the time I'd looked back at her, she was laying her head on my chest with a handful of my shirt in her fist.

"Hanajima, are you alright?" Rukia's voice was quiet. Again Hana nodded and pulled closer to me. I felt uncomfortable and knew that Rukia didn't really want her daughter warming up to me for a second time. I gazed up at Rukia again and saw a tight expression placed on her face. My body stiffened knowing that she didn't want me this close to her daughter but Hana didn't notice. She spent the rest of the afternoon on my lap or by my side. She'd follow me more than she used to and always have a hold of my hand, shirt, or grab onto one of my pant loops. Everyone noticed her weird actions and more than once did I get the stink eye from Rukia.

Once the afternoon ended Michiru offered to take Rukia home and I don't think I'd ever seen her so...ready to leave. I could tell she was pacing herself and it took a lot out of her not to run out the door. She gave Renji and Hisagi a hug goodbye and slowly turned to me. She looked at me with a clueless expression and I gave her an encouraging smile. With that she took a step closer to me and awkwardly wrapped her arms around me. A memory of the night before flashed into my mind before I hugged her back. My grip was tight and when she first tried to pull back, I wasn't quite ready to let her go. She reluntantly stayed put and relaxed a bit.

I felt all the pain of the last two weeks build up and my arms tightened around Rukia. I layed my head on her shoulder and felt her hands ball up behind me. She rested her head on my chest and sighed. The sound wasn't annoyed or agrivated, it was sad and tired. I could feel everyones eyes on us and heard Hisagi make a smart remark before being smacked. We both ignored them all and only pulled apart when Hanajima pushed her way between us to hug onto my legs. Rukia pulled away quickly, her eyes were glazed over and her face was red. She allowed me to bend down and hug Hana. Then she grabbed Hana's hand and dragged her out of the house without another word.

That night when I got home, all I could think about was Rukia. We've had two run-ins in the last twenty-four hours and they only reinforced my feelings for her. I was dying to see her, to talk to her, and with those intense thoughts running through my head, I decided to do just that. I finally made the decision to talk to her, to tell her anything she wanted to hear. While grabbing my keys and slipping my shoes on, I decided to go now before I changed my mind.

The drive there was a blur, I drove without thinking and found myself at her house in a flash. It took me ten minutes to gain the courage to go up to her house. I slowly opened my door and walked up to the front door. I held my hand up to knock but froze. My nerves got the best of me and without thinking, I took a step back. Did I really want to do this? Was I really ready to do this? I wasn't sure and that doubt hit me like a ton of bricks. Still I pushed it away and told myself that I wasn't doing it for me, I was doing it for Rukia. Again I raised my hand to knock and rapped loudly on the door. In no time the door was opened and a wide-eyed Rukia was starring up at me, frozen in place.

"Ich-ichigo?"

_Rukia's POV_

"Ich-ichigo?" My voice was shakey and my shock was all over my face. Before I could say anything else he filled the space between us. His arms were around me and he leaned over, quickly covering my lips with his own. His actions took my by surprise and I nearly lost my balance, slipping back a few steps. My mouth was moving along with Ichigo's before I even contemplated the situation. His arms tightened around me, pulling my body closer. I tried to pull away and get an explanation but Ichigo misunderstood my actions and moved back with me. We continued to traispe backwards until my back hit a wall. Finally I was able to manuver my hands to his chest and push him back. His expression was stunned and his mouth turned down in a frown.

"Ichigo...what are you doing?" My hands were still resting on his chest and I could feel him intake deep breaths. Both of us were breathing heavily and I felt my knees shaking slightly.

"I want to talk." His voice was loud and his words spilled out of his mouth in a rushed fashion. My eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"What? What are you talking ab-?" Ichigo cut my off and shook his head.

"I'll tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"Anything. Anything you want, anything you think is important. I'll tell you, I want to." His words continued to pool out quickly. "I'm sorry...please just...let me talk." His words were softer and came out more slowly. I couldn't believe it, he was ready. I never thought he'd be ready to talk about it but...he was. All I did was nod and stare up at him amazed. He looked down at me and seemed to be in disbelief. After a moment of hesitation, a smile slowly spread on his face and he gently placed a single kiss on my lips.

"I love you Rukia."

I felt tears sliding down my face and quickly wiped them away with the back of my hand. "I love you too." More tears came as I began to cry. My hands covered my eyes and Ichigo's arms wrapped around me again. My body shuddered as I continued to sob. I never thought this would happen, I never even considered Ichigo changing his mind and now that he had, it was too much. I was so happy.

We stayed like that for a good fifteen minutes before I finally stopped crying. Ichigo let go of me and I found myself resting against the wall. Ichigo layed his arm against the wall above my head and leaned forward only a few inches away from me. His body was bent down and his head rested on mine.

"I'm ready to tell you...if you still want me to." I couldn't help but smile and had to hold back a laugh.

"Of course I still want you to." After a moment of silence he cleared his throat and nodded his head.

"I...uh...I was nine and my family lived in the back of town." I glanced up towards his face and saw him frowning at the memory. "We didn't really have any neighbors, our house was back in a wooded area. The house was two stories and everyone but me had a room upstairs. My twin sisters were only four and they shared a room. My parents...they slept in the other room while I slept down stairs." Ichigo paused and his free arm enclosed around my waist. He took a step closer and his body rested against mine. I hugged onto him in a sign of encouragement. Again he took a deep breath and continued.

"One night...I woke up to this weird noise. At first I thought someone was outside my door but I realized that smoke was spilling in under my door. I wasn't sure what to do so I grabbed the handle to pull open the door but ended up burning my hand. The noise of the fire got louder and I knew I wouldn't be able to get out that way. I was panicing and...the only thing on my mind was to get out as soon as possible." His body shuddered and I heard him let out a single sob. He quickly gained control and started speaking again.

"I started looking around my room looking for a solution. As soon as I layed my eyes on the window I sprinted over to it. I knew it'd be an easy way out and as I opened the window I felt my mind ease up. I slipped out easily and ran to the front of the house. For most nine year olds it probaly would have been a little more difficult but luckily I was five foot six." He let out a dry laugh, his words almost sarcastic. "When I reached the driveway I saw that the majority of my house was in flames. A forest fire had spread behind my home and eventually caught my house on fire. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and I just...stood there. I didn't move or try to get help, I just stood there watching the fire consume my whole family." As the last few words came out of his mouth, I felt tears hit my face and felt Ichigo's body constrict.

"I was lucky that the firefighters were already there to put out the forest fire. If they didn't come, I probably would have been standing there for hours. A firefighter found me frozen in the driveway and dragged me off to an ambulance and took me to the hospital. Even when I was cleared and ready to leave I had to stay until a police officer came and told me that all my family had died." My eyes grew misty as he finally let out all this built up pain. My chest felt warm and tight as I held in my own cries. Ichigo remained silent aside from his infrequent sobs.

"What happened to you after that?" I turned my head up toward him until his forhead was resting against mine. My fingers brushed his face, wiping away some of his tears. I noticed that his eyes were closed and he didn't open them to return my gaze until I touched his face. His eyebrows were knitted together and I could see the pain in his eyes from opening old wounds.

"I was put into a foster home." He didn't offer any further information until I gave him a curious look. "A few months later Ren Abarai adopted me."

"That's how you met Renji?" My eyes widened slightly astounded by the new information. Ichigo simply nodded and I decided that this was enough. After a few minutes of silence I gave Ichigo a kiss on the cheeck. "Thank you Ichigo, this meant a lot to me." I layed my head against his collar bone and tightened my grip on him. His body straightened slightly as he pulled away putting about an inch or two of distance between us.

"I love you." I smiled, feeling the words bubble up in my throat but before I could speak Ichigo's mouth was on mine again. His hand rested on the back of my neck and the other layed on my hip. Our lips continued moving and I'm not sure how long we stood there kissing. Man was I glad Hanajima was taking a nap. As things got more intense, I felt my heart beat pick up speed. Ichigo's arms slid down until his hands were on my thighs and in one swift motion he picked me up with my legs resting around his waist. I pulled my mouth away from Ichigo and took a deep breath.

"I love you Ichigo." My words were soft and spoken quickly. My lips found Ichigo's again the next thing I knew, Ichigo was making his way towards my bedroom.

Here's chapter 16! Only one more! :) Hope you all enjoyed and I hope I didn't ruin the story for those who've read the actual novel. For those of you who haven't, I suggest you do. :)


	17. Chapter 17

Okay back again to finish this! :) Just warning you, this chapter will probably be extremely short. If it's not, it'll surprise me! :D So here it is!

**One Year Later**

_Rukia's POV_

I woke to a shrill sound filling the room and immediately felt my head throbbing from the reoccuring headaches I've experienced in the last three months. The noise continued, apparently not waking Ichigo, so I angrily reached over and slapped the top of the aggravating alarm clock. I shifted and turned over, the weight of Ichigo's arm around me making it difficult to move. My body was turned toward Ichigo's sleeping form and I began nudging him.

"Ichigo, get up." Groaning, I rubbed my eyes and continued to shove my husband awake. "Come on, get up before I smack you." Ichigo pulled away, indicating that he'd waken. I heard him groan but continued to push him hoping my efforts would pay off quickly. Finally he sat up and stretched his arms out. After rubbing his eyes he looked down at me.

"Did you threaten to smack me?" His voice was curious and a smile found it's way on his face when he said it.

"Yes. You wouldn't get up, I just thought it would help." I grinned back and sat up next to him. He reached out and pushed some loose hair out of my face and gave me a quick kiss.

"Well good morning to you to." His sarcasm was easily heard but he laughed it off and stood stretched again. "I'm going to go check on the kids and you can go make me breakfast." I could hear the joking manor in his words and didn't need to look up at his face to tell he was smiling. I stood next to him and rolled my eyes.

"Yeah right. Would you prefer eggs containing my spit or toast made of moldy bread?" Ichigo chuckled and wrapped his arms around me. My arms enclosed around his waist and I soon felt Ichigo pick me up off the ground in our embrace causing my feet to dangle a good foot and a half away from the ground. After a tight squeeze he sat me down and kissed my forehead before grabbing my hand.

We walked down the hall together and entered Hanajima's room. She was lying in bed starring at the ceiling. She always did this until we came in after her, not wanting to venture out of the comforts of her bed. When she saw us she grinned and sat up. She eagerly held her arms out to Ichigo and I felt his hand slip out of mine as he picked her up.

"Morning Hana." Ichigo pulled her up to his shoulder and kissed her on the head. She returned the gesture by kissing him on the cheek.

"Good morning Daddy, Mommy." Her voice was loud and confident. Ever since Ichigo and I had gotten back together a year ago, her speaking had improved immensely. She started stringing sentences together and with both our help she was now at a four and a half year olds level. She was now only half a year behind in her speaking rather than two years. Both of us were so surprised when she started talking at dinner and even more shocked when she started speaking to Michiru's daughter. It was truly a miracle.

While they caught up and discussed what they wanted for breakfast, I wondered over to the crib in the corner of the room. As I peered down over the edge I saw our other daughter staring up at me. She was wide awake but hadn't cried to inform me of it earlier. It didn't surprise me, she almost never cried or made a sound. I was so worried she had the same problem as Hana, I thought I had a dominant gene or something but Ichigo reassured me that she was just a good baby. I pushed my worry away but every once and a while it would resurface.

Ichigo walked up to me, still holding Hanajima, and smiled down at our child. "Good morning, Machi." She contined to stare up at us and I noticed her smile slightly. I reached in and picked her up. Craddling her carefully, I walked to the kitchen with Ichigo as we started our day together. Our family had gained another member and Ichigo and I had already discussed how many kids we wanted. Family. I couldn't believe it, I had a family, not just a daughter but a family with the man I loved. What more could I ask for?

Okay here it is! :D I told you super short! Hope you all enjoyed the story! I'm excited to have finished my first story! :)


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